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is;i 


A  BUDGET 


OP 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WORK  AND 
TRAVEL  IN:  J>:?AK,  / 


1 »»»,«,  •'» 


ARTHUR  COLLINS  MACLAY,  A.M.,  LL.B. 

FuKMKKLY    InsTKUCTOR  OF   ENGLISH   IN   THE   Ko-GaKKO-RiO, 

ToKio,  Japan 


NEW  YORK 

A.  C.  ARMSTRONG  &  SON 

714  Broadway 

1886 


V 


Copyright,  1886, 
By  ARTHUR  COLLINS  MACLAY. 


Press  of  J.  J.  Little  &    Ca 
Astor  Place,  New  York. 


I  DEDICATE  THIS  BOOK 
TO  THE  MEMORY 

OF 
MY  MOTHER 


47ii346 


PREFACE 


During  my  leisure  hours,  while  a  sojourner  in  "  the  land 
of  the  gods  and  of  the  rising  sun,"  I  made  it  a  practice — partly 
as  a  matter  of  recreation,  and  partly  from  a  desire  to  secure 
accurate  information — to  carefully  reduce  to  writing  my  ob- 
servations and  experiences  while  dwelling  in  that  beautiful 
country,  in  order  that  I  might  always  have  something  tangi- 
ble wherewith  to  refresh  my  memory  in  coming  years  when 
those  vivid  impressions  had  become  dimmed  through  lapse 
of  time.  In  the  course  of  years,  these  "  wayside  jottings  "  ac- 
cumulated in  a  manner  quite  surprising  to  myself  Throw- 
ing out  all  matter  that  had  been  dwelt  upon  to  any  extent  by 
other  writers  upon  Japan,  and  retaining  only  that  which 
seemed  to  me  to  be  fresh  material  upon  this  subject,  I  reduced 
the  substance  of  my  journals  to  a  book,  adopting  the  form  of 
correspondence  as  being  conversational  in  its  nature  and 
best  suited  for  conveying  to  other  minds  the  results  of  my  own 
observations  and  experiences.  Submitting  the  work  to  several 
impartial  readers,  I  was  strongly  urged  by  them  to  have  it 
published  as  containing  matter  of  general  interest  presented 
in  a  readable  manner.  Bowing  to  their  judgment  in  the  mat- 
ter, I  now  submit  this  "  Budget  of  Letters  "  to  the  individual 
opinion  of  each  reader,  hoping  that  each  may  derive  as  much 
profit  and  pleasure  from  the  perusal  thereof  as  I  have  derived 
from  the  composing. 

Arthur  C.  Maclay. 

32  Park  Place,  New  York  City, 
July  I,  1886. 


EXPLANATORY   REMARKS. 


New  York  City,  February  i,  1886. 

Dear  Public: 

Inasmuch  as  introductions  are,  subjectively  and 
objectively,  a  bore,  permit  me  to  be  very  brief  in 
introducing  to  you  my  friend  Theophilus  Pratt. 
He  was  a  school-teacher  in  Japan  for  four  years. 
He  taught  in  various  parts  of  the  Japanese  Em- 
pire from  the  year  1873  to  the  year  1878.  During 
that  time  he  wrote  me  quite  a  number  of  letters, 
which  to  me  were  very  interesting.  They  are 
upon  a  variety  of  topics,  including  house-keeping, 
rebellions,  and  assassinations.  They  describe  the 
halcyon  days  of  school-teaching  in  Japan.  They 
also  touch  upon  events  of  general  interest  to 
Americans  and  Europeans. 

These  letters,  I  repeat,  were  very  interesting  to 
me.  Hence  I  naturally  inferred  that  they  might 
interest  others.  Therefore  I  have  arranged  them 
in  book  form,  and  now  present  them  for  your 
perusal.  Hoping  that  our  tastes  in  tMs  matter 
will  coincide,  I  remain. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

Julius  Marcellus  Van  Tag. 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER  I. 

»  PAGB 

The  Farewell i 

LETTER  IL 
A  Voyage  Across  the  Pacific 6 

LETTER  in. 
Yokohama 2X 

LETTER  IV. 
HlROSAKl 35 

LETTER  V. 
A  Gumpse  OP  Old  Feudal  Times  in  Japan 57 

LETTER  VI. 
A  Few  Ideas  About  Life  in  the  Interior 81 

LETTER  VII. 
A  Tragedy.  .., , 99 

LETTER  VIII. 
A  Few  Reminiscences iii 


•/ 


LETTER  IX. 
ToKio 130 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

LETTER  X. 

PAGB 

School-teaching  in  Tokio 162 

LETTER  XL 
A  Summer  Vacation 173 

LETTER  XIL 
Missionary  Work  in  Japan 196 

LETTER  XIIL 
A  Trip  Through  Classic  Japan 219 

LETTER  XIV. 
Kioto 243 

LETTER  XV. 
An  Excursion  to  Nara 258 

LETTER  XVI. 
Fujiyama 272 

LETTER  XVII. 
The  Satsuma  Rebellion 287 

LETTER  XVIII. 

HlYEISAN 303 

LETTER  XIX. 
Social  Problems  in  Japan 333 

LETTER  XX. 
Our  Imperial  Cousins    365 

LETTER  XXL 
Farewell  to  Japan 385 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGB 

The  Yomei  Gateway Frontispiece 

Casting  up  Accounts 21 

iwa-ki-san 35 

Street  Vender 43 

Gossiping  at  the  Well 51 

Old-style  Warriors 57 

Third  Moat  of  the  Tokio  Castle 68 

Our  Postal  Service 81 

May^bara 99 

Street  Scene  in  Hirosaki. iii 

AiNos 130 

The  Ubiquitous  Jinrikisha 145 

The  Kago 162 

The  Tomb  op  Tokugaw a  Iyeyas i73 

GuMPSE  OP  Chiusenji  Lake 186 

View  of  the  Third  Terrace,  Nikko  Temples 196 

The  Citadel  of  Owari  Castle 219 

The  Great  Bell  at  Dai-Butz  Temple,  Kioto, 243 

The  Death  of  Buddha 258 

Image  of  Dai-Butz  at  Kamakura. 272 

The  Citadel  of  Kumamoto  Castle 287 

Ruins  of  the  Citadel  op  Aidzu  Castle 303 

A  Quiet  Corner  in  a  Buddhist  Cemetery 333 

At  Home 346 

The  Three  Estates 3^5 


A  BUDGET  OF  LETTERS 
FROM  JAPAN. 


LETTER   I. 

THE   FAREWELL. 


San  Francisco,  California,  October  lo,  1873. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

I  AM  off  for  Japan.  I  left  New  York  in  such  a 
hurry  that  I  was  unable  to  give  you  a  parting  call. 
I  therefore  present  my  apologies  and  explanations 
by  letter.  I  expect  to  be  gone  for  three  or  four 
years ;  and  I  wish  to  open  a  regular  correspondence 
with  you  during  my  sojourn  abroad.  If  you  agree 
to  this  plan,  be  so  kind  as  to  notify  me  to  that 
effect. 

Why  did  I  decide  so  suddenly  to  go  to  Japan  ? 
Permit  me  to  explain.  You  will  remember  that 
my  studies  were  interrupted  by  the  failure  of  my 
eyesight  last  year.  This  inopportune  event  laid 
me  on  the  shelf,  colloquially  speaking.  About  six 
weeks  ago  I  received  a  letter  from  my  friend 
Adamson,  in  Yokohama,  urging  me  to  go  out  to 


S' :    ■' ;  '  ,  ■    LE7^TERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Japan  and  teach  school.  He  said  the  work  would 
be  agreeable  and  not  too  hard  for  my  eyes.  He 
also  said  that  the  pecuniary  considerations  were  by 
no  means  to  be  overlooked.  He  advised  me  to  go 
right  on  to  Yokohama  so  as  to  be  ready  to  make 
application  for  the  first  vacancy  that  might  occur. 
This  was  the  only  way  to  do,  for  there  was  no 
probability  that  a  Japanese  delegation  would  wait 
upon  me  in  the  United  States.  He  said  I  might 
have  to  wait  a  year,  or  I  might  have  to  wait  only 
a  month,  for  one  of  these  flitting  opportunities. 

In  almost  every  transaction  in  life  we  are  obliged 
to  incur  a  certain  amount  of  risk.  Success  is  the 
result  of  an  ever-varying  equation.  The  science  of 
life  is  to  calculate  that  there  is  a  reasonable  prob- 
ability of  a  given  set  of  circumstances  producing  a 
plus  quantity,  and  then  to  go  ahead.  In  the  pres- 
ent case,  the  circumstances  and  conditions  augur 
well  for  success. 

The  journey  across  the  continent  was  not  spe- 
cially exciting.  We  came  through  from  New  York 
with  the  same  car-load  of  passengers  with  which 
we  started.  We  had  the  usual  assortment  of 
travelers.  There  was  the  bridal  couple  going  to 
visit  the  Yosemite.  There  was  the  Englishman 
returning  to  China  via  America  despite  the  warning 
of  anxious  friends  who  had  cautioned  him  to  be- 
ware of  the  free  fights  and  the  railway  disasters  of 
the  reckless  Americans.  There  was  the  elderly 
lady  with  spectacles,  who  had  come  to  write  a 
book   on  Mormonism,  and  wanted  to   silence   all 


THE  FAREWELL.  3 

assailants  with  the  fact  that  she  had  seen  the  things 
therein  stated  with  her  own  eyes  and  could  not  be 
mistaken.  There  was  the  man  going  to  get  up  a 
lecture  on  the  Chinese  immigration  question,  and 
wanted  to  convince  his  audiences  of  his  impar- 
tiality by  stating  that  he  had  been  in  California 
and  could  testify  whereof  he  knew.  And  then 
there  was  the  party  of  ubiquitous  "Globe-Trot- 
ters "  with  their  Cook's  Guide,  We  were  given  to 
understand  that  they  represented  several  millions 
of  dollars  and  also  a  rare  assortment  of  refinement 
and  culture.  And,  finally,  there  were  Mrs.  What's- 
her-name,  from  Boston,  and  her  husband, — but  he 
didn*t  count.  She  had  strong  scientific  tastes,  and 
made  many  very  wise  observations.  She  thought 
that  the  country,  through  which  we  passed  yester- 
day, gave  strong  evidence  of  glacial  erosion.  To- 
day she  wishes  that  she  could  obtain  some  of  those 
fossils  in  the  ledge  of  rocks  to  our  right,  for  she 
feels  positive  that  the  place  gives  indications  of 
much  geological  interest.  Her  meek  husband  then 
expresses  profound  regret  that  the  sordid  aspirations 
of  the  lucre-loving  railroad  company  will  not  allow 
the  scientific  passengers  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  per 
day  at  these  carboniferous  outcroppings.  She  then 
pines  for  some  of  those  lovely  endogenous  bulbifer- 
ous  plants  that  are  growing  beside  yonder  marsh,  for 
she  feels  sure  that  they  must  be  some  new  species, 
and  heaves  a  regretful  sigh  as  the  train  passes  on. 
Whereupon  her  husband  turns  around  and  looks 
wildly  down  the  car,  as  if  seriously  contemplating 


4  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

the  immediate  stopping  of  the  trail),  or  some  other 
desperate  maneuver  whereby  the  bulbiferous  endo- 
gens  may  be  procured.  But,  on  second  thought, 
he  settles  down  and  delivers  himself  of  a  diatribe 
against  the  vile  mercenary  spirit  of  railroad  cor- 
porations in  general  and  of  the  Union  Pacific  in 
particular.  Enlisting  the  florid  effusions  of  some 
of  his  choice  oratorical  efforts,  he  warmly  asserts 
that  corruption  in  high  places  should  be  closely 
scrutinized ;  that  bribery  and  trickery  among  our 
public  officials  should  be  ferreted  out,  and  an 
indignant  public  should  excoriate  the  same  with 
withering  scorn  ;  and  that  the  surest  way  of  staying 
this  frightful  torrent  of  chicanery,  and  of  heralding 
in  pure  politics,  was  to  grant  universal  and  unre- 
stricted suffrage  to  the  much-abused  and  down- 
trodden female  sex.  To  all  of  which  an  approving 
amen  was  smiled  by  the  budding  scientist  whose 
genius  was  thus  being  rudely  blighted  by  the 
grasping  avarice  of  the  Union  Pacific. 

It  took  us  about  seven  days  to  cover  the  dis- 
tance between  the  oceans.  The  journey  was  a 
most  enjoyable  one.  The  greater  part  of  our  com- 
pany will  take  the  same  steamer  for  Yokohama. 
This  will  make  it  quite  home-like.  I  have  not 
cumbered  myself  with  very  much  luggage.  A 
trunk  and  a  box  of  books  tell  the  tale.  They  say 
that  Yokohama  furnishes  all  articles  needed  by 
Europeans  and  Americans.  I  hope  you  will  ex- 
cuse the  brevity  of  this  letter.  Also,  its  abrupt 
termination,  for  I  must  go   down  to  Santa  Clara 


THE  FAREWELL.  5 

this  afternoon  to  visit   some  cousins  living  there. 
Keep  me  posted  on  all  home  news,  and  I  will  post 
you  on  all  news  relating  to  Japan. 
Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt.    . 


LETTER     II. 

A  VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE   PACIFIC. 

Yokohama,  Japan,  December  18,  1873. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

I  HAVE  been  here  about  a  month.  I  have  not 
yet  secured  a  position  :  but  my  friend  Adamson 
says  that  patience  is  a  great  virtue,  particularly 
in  Japan.  He  says  that  more  than  half  the  battle 
is  won  by  being  here  on  the  ground.  I  hope  to 
report  progress  in  my  next  letter.  My  mornings 
I  spend  in  walking  over  the  delightful  hills 
surrounding  Yokohama.  For  two  hours  after 
tiffin  I  am  engaged  in  teaching  a  couple  of 
Japanese  gentlemen.  After  that,  I  have  some 
time  for  reading.  And  then  before  dinner  I  take 
another  walk  through  the  city  or  along  the  Bluffs. 
I  have  already  been  over  almost  every  path  within 
a  radius  of  five  miles  of  this  place.  Everything  is 
so  novel  that  it  seems  as  if  I  were  in  a  new  world. 
Private  teaching  here  is  not  very  remunerative. 
Japanese  do  not  feel  able  to  pay  more  than  five 
dollars  per  month  for  tuition ;  and  the  majority 
feel  heavily  taxed  when  they  have  to  pay  two  dollars 
per  month.  Unless  a  person  can  secure  a  contract 
under  the  government,  he  will  find  school-teaching 


A    VOYAGE  ACROSS    THE  PACIFIC.  7 

a  poor  business.  But  all  this  is  not  answering 
your  questions  about  my  voyage  across  the 
Pacific. 

Let  us  imagine  ourselves  on  the  wharves  at  San 
Francisco.  We  pass  up  the  gangway  of  the  huge 
paddle-wheel  steamer  chained  to  the  pier.  Its 
accommodations  are  superb.  Upon  the  upper 
deck  is  a  social  hall  where  we  can  have  music  and 
dancing.  Upon  the  same  deck  is  a  fine  broad 
promenade.  Here,  the  children,  the  terror  of  sea- 
going folks,  spend  most  of  their  time.  These 
steamers  take  about  twenty-six  days  to  reach  Yo- 
kohama in  moderately  fair  weather.  The  pro- 
pellers take  about  eighteen  days.  They  are  not, 
however,  so  comfortable,  and  many  of  the  ladies 
prefer  the  extra  time,  with  comfort. 

Having  arranged  our  stateroom,  we  lean  over 
the  taffrail  beside  the  main  gangway,  and  watch 
the  passengers  coming  up  from  the  pier.  Here 
comes  the  English  party.  They  recognize  us  and 
exchange  nods,  for  in  journeying  we  dispense  with 
formal  introductions.  Behind  this  party  come 
three  or  four  Japanese  gentlemen  dressed  in  Euro- 
pean style  and  armed  with  patent  leather  valises. 
Then  follows  a  Chinese  Commissioner  leading  his 
two  boys.  They  are  all  dressed  in  their  native 
costume.  And  their  well-greased  pig-tails  flaunt 
gently  in  the  breeze.  They  come  stalking  up  the 
gangway  as  consequentially  as  if  they  owned  the 
ship.  The  contrast  between  them  and  the  Japa- 
nese is  characteristic  of  the  two  nations. 


8  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

The  tide  of  passengers  and  leave-taking  friends 
is  now  surging  up  and  down  the  plank  in  a  con- 
tinuous stream.  It  is  within  a  few  minutes  of  high 
noon,  and  we  are  preparing  to  start.  Ah !  here 
comes  the  admirer  of  bulbiferous  endogens.  And 
beside  her  is  the  denouncer  of  corrupt  railroad  cor- 
porations, our  friend  Mustaches.  That  feeble  old 
gentleman  meekly  following  them  is  the  father  of 
the  gushing  scientist.  We  came  near  being  deprived 
of  their  society  across  the  Pacific.  Time's  up  ! 
The  gang-plank  is  drawn  away.  The  hawsers  are 
cast  loose,  and  the  vessel  swings  from  the  wharf. 
Round  go  the  wheels,  and  the  spray  sprinkles  the 
crowd  on  the  pier.  The  extending  wake  of  boiling 
waters  now  marks  our  course  down  the  bay. 

Have  you  ever  seen  your  native  cliffs  sinking  be- 
neath the  waves?  And  have  you  ever  felt  as  you 
gazed  mournfully  astern  through  the  misty  air 
that  your  farewell  might  be  final,  and  that  you 
might  never  see  those  blue  mountains  rising  from 
the  sea?     Then  you  can  appreciate  our  feelings. 

The  passengers  crowd  the  hurricane  deck  and 
wave  their  handkerchiefs  to  the  crowded  shore. 
Many  eyes  moisten  as  the  gap  widens  and  the  re- 
sponsive flutterings  become  obscured  by  the  dis- 
tance. Even  the  officers  wear  a  resigned  expres- 
sion. But  the  saddest  group  of  all  is  the  little 
party  of  missionaries  just  abaft  the  paddle-box. 
They  necessarily  feel  the  situation  far  more  keenly 
than  people  who  are  going  abroad  for  self-interest, 
expecting  to  return  in  a  few  months,  or  two  or 


A    VOYAGE  ACROSS    THE  PACIFIC.  9 

three  years  at  most.  Their  outlook  is  gloomy. 
For  they  are  to  be  gone  for  ten  years  at  least,  un- 
less death  or  disease  steps  in  to  shorten  their 
exile.  Now,  in  the  Sunday  schools  we  used  to  get 
the  impression  that  missionaries  were  a  species  of 
beings  so  divinely  constituted  that  they  were  not 
apt  to  be  affected  by  ordinary  human  woes ;  but 
here  we  see  simply  a  sad  little  company  of  devoted 
people  who  arc  greviously  afflicted,  like  ordinary 
mortals,  with  homesickness.  And  as  they  hurry 
down  into  the  cabin  we  grimly  wonder  how  many 
of  the  church  members  at  home,  who  believe  in 
missionaries  never  leaving  the  foreign  field,  and  in 
their  going  to  heaven  by  way  of  India  and  China, 
and  who  are  so  loud  in  dictating  about  the  econo- 
mical disposal  of  missionaries,  as  if  they  were 
pieces  of  church  furniture,  would  thus  ostracize 
themselves  from  home,  friends,  and  civilized 
society. 

But  our  voyage  is  begun.  The  peculiarity  of  a 
sea-voyage  across  the  Pacific  is  that  you  get  almost 
all  nationalities  represented.  English,  French, 
Germans,  Jews,  Chinese,  Japanese,  and  Americans 
are  apt  to  be  well  represented.  All  grades  of  so- 
ciety, all  creeds,  and  all  professions  are  also  apt  to 
be  represented.  The  cosmopolitan  character  of 
the  passengers  usually  promotes  good  nature  and 
sociability.  You,  of  course,  know  what  a  sea- 
voyage  is.  There  is  much  sameness  in  the  general 
run  of  events.  Eating  is  our  prime  occupation. 
Coffee  and  toast  at  seven ;    breakfast  at  eight ;    tif- 


lO  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

fin  at  twelve  ;  a  regular  dinner  at  five  ;  and  tea  at 
nine  ;  there  you  have  it. 

Our  interludes  we  fill  in  with  reading  and  gossip- 
Sometimes  the  Japanese  passengers  are  criticised. 
You  are  duly  informed  how  many  cigars  they 
smoke  per  day;  how  many  bottles  of  wine  they 
drink  at  dinner ;  how  often  they  pace  up  and 
down  the  spar-deck  indorsing  the  civilized  method 
of  exercise ;  how  little  Tanaka^  while  pacing  the 
deck  with  the  dignity  of  a  tycoon,  had  his  high 
hat  blown  over  the  quarter-rail  and  came  very  near 
going  over  himself  while  frantically  hopping  after 
it ;  and  how  sociable,  genial,  and  chatty  they  are. 

Then  you  will  hear  a  long  yarn  about  the  mis- 
sionaries. How  the  stewardess  says  the  ship  al- 
ways meets  a  storm  when  they  come  aboard ;  and 
how  foolish  it  is  for  people  to  spend  thousands  of 
dollars  in  sending  them  abroad  when  there  are  so 
many  heathens  at  home. 

Then  you  will  hear  about  the  English.  How 
they  bet  on  every  imaginable  thing, — on  the 
weather,  on  the  number  of  miles  run  per  day,  on 
the  prospects  of  rain,  on  the  continuance  of  the 
wind,  and  on  the  length  of  the  voyage. 

Then  the  Americans  catch  it.  And  our  English 
cousins  furnish  us  with  a  series  of  dissolving  views 
upon  society,  politics,  and  morality  in  all  that  por- 
tion of  dangerous  territory  called  by  civilized  na- 
tions America,  but  which  we  designate  the  United 
States. 

They  always  advance  the  same  arguments,  and 


A    VOYAGE  ACROSS   THE  PACIFIC.  II 

tenaciously  cling  to  the  same  line  of  assertion. 
They  get  most  of  their  ideas  from  English  news- 
papers and  journals,  and  never  think  for  themselves 
as  to  whether  their  ideas  are  accurate.  I  have  had 
several  tilts  with  them  and  have  now  become  so 
familiar  with  their  mode  of  attack  that  I  begin  to 
wish  they  would  start  a  new  journal  in  England  so 
that  we  can  have  a  little  variety  in  our  discourses. 
After  a  short  conversation  you  can  tell  by  what 
London  newspaper  an  Englishman  swears. 

We  have  had  several  animated  after-dinner  dis- 
cussions. As  a  matter  of  recreation,  I  have 
dramatized  these  belligerent  talks.  I  here  insert 
a  copy  of  my  humble  efforts.  It  will  serve  as  a 
sample. 

ACT  I. 

Scene  I. 

'(Captain's  table.  Dramatis  /Vrj<7«<p.— Captain,  two 
Germans,  three  Englishmen,  and  two  Americans.  All 
busily  engaged  in  eating  nuts  and  raisins.) 

Dr.  Smith  of  London.— \  say,  would  you  mind  just  passing 
that  dish  of  almonds  ? 

Mr.  Brown  of  New  York. — With  pleasure. 

Dr.  S. — An  uncommonly  auspicious  beginning  for  our  pas- 
sage, you  know. 

Mr.  B. — It  is,  indeed.  But  I  fear  we  shall  have  some  cases 
of  seasickness  before  we  reach  Japan. 

Dr.  S. — I  am  rather  inclined  to  think  so  myself,  you 
know. 

Mr.  ^.— This  Pacific  has  a  false  reputation,  I  think.  The 
captain  thinks  we  will  have  some  rough  weather  before  we're 
through. 


I  2  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

Dr.  5.— So  the  ''fright  dark"  told  me. 

Mr.  D. — Excuse  me,  but  I  didn't  catch  the  gentleman's 
name. 

Dr.  S. — That  gentleman  near  the  purser, 

Mr.  B. — Oh  !  Freight  clerk,  you  mean — that  individual 
with  a  red  moustache. 

Dr.  S. — Ah  !  That's  another  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the 
American  language.  You  know,  I  am  often  floored  by  some 
of  your  odd  provincialisms.  You  never  know  when  you  are 
going  to  turn  the  corner  sharp  upon  one  of  them.  It's  con- 
foundedly awkward,  you  know. 

Mr.  B. — I  don't  think  much  difference  exists  in  the  culti- 
vated language  of  the  two  countries.  The  colloquial  does 
vary  somewhat,  I  believe. 

Dr.  S. — But  you  Americans  are  changing  the  English  lan- 
guage, you  know. 

Mr.  B. — All  languages,  sir,  that  live  must  grow,  you 
know.  Even  in  England  the  language  has  changed  within 
a  century. 

Dr.  S. — But  your  American  phrases  and  patois,  so  to 
speak,  are  sometimes  quite  unintelligible. 

Captain. — To  hear  you  talk,  doctor,  one  would  think  that 
the  English  language  was  spoken  in  full  perfection  in  Eng- 
land. But  I  have  been  to  places  within  two  hours'  ride  of 
London  where  you  positively  can't  understand  the  people  and 
they  can't  understand  you.  Just  go  over  the  Sussex  Downs 
some  time.  And  as  for  patois,  you  have  a  number  of  them 
even  in  so  small  a  space  as  England  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the 
barbaric  lingo  you  find  in  Wales,  Ireland,  and  Scotland. 

Mr.  Jones  of  Liverpool. — And  don't  you  find  the  same 
thing  in  America .? 

Captain. — No.  You  can  go  from  Maine  to  California  and 
be  perfectly  understood,  except  among  the  Indians. 

Dr.  S. — Quite  true.  Yes,  quite  true.  But  I'm  afraid  you 
don't  fully  grasp  my  meaning,  you  know.  I  refer  more  par- 
ticularly to  the  newspaper  literature   of  America.     I  think 


A    VOYAGE  ACROSS   THE  PACIFIC.  1 3 

you'll  own  that  American  editors  are  guilty  of  the  most  un- 
justifiable liberties  in  distorting  the  English  language.  Look 
at  the  Police  Gazette,  the  Buckeye  Democrat^  and  the  infer- 
nal orthography  of  Artemus  Ward  and  Naseby. 

Mr.  B. — Be  fair,  doctor.  You  are  not  selecting  standard 
papers.  And  then  you  must  remember  that  no  American 
pretends  to  recommend  the  spelling  of  Ward  and  Naseby. 
These  writers  are  popular  both  in  England  and  America 
because  they  are  humorous  and  witty. 

Mr.  Griggs  of  New  York. — Guess  you'd  better  try  again, 
doctor.  Why  don't  you  quote  the  Harpers',  the  Atlantic 
Monthly,  and  the  North  American  Review  ? 

Dr.  5.— Well,  take  the  Harper  s  Weekly  then.  See  how 
it  copies  pictures  from  English  papers.  You  will  often  find 
the  same  picture  i:i  both  papers. 

Mr.  B. — Well,  supposing  we  do.  Don't  you  copy  Ameri- 
can jokes  into  your  English  papers  ?  We  copy  your  choice 
illustrations,  and  you  copy  our  witticisms.  Doesn't  that 
leave  the  sides  equally  balanced  ? 

Mr,  Jones. — But  your  American  papers  are  so  addicted  to 
exaggeration  that  a  stranger  finds  himself  sorely  puzzled 
what  to  believe.  I  have  met  a  great  many  Americans  who, 
when  I  say  that  a  certain  thing  is  stated  so  and  so  in  the 
newspaper,  immediately  burst  out  laughing  and  say  that  is 
just  why  they  don't  believe  it.  A  man  can't  tell  what  to  be- 
lieve, you  know.     It's  intensely  awkward,  indeed  it  is. 

Mr.  Griggs. — I  regret  to  say  that  your  remarks  are  quite 
just  respecting  what  we  designate  as  our  newspaper  "trash." 
Some  of  these  papers  are  very  vile,  I  admit.  But  our  first- 
class  newspapers  are  not  generally  unreliable.  You  must 
remember  that  your  English  papers  frequently  make  blun- 
ders.    And  they  sometimes  get  decidedly  personal. 

Mr.  Pinker  of  London.— Then  you  Americans  are  so 
superficial.  You  don't  do  things  thoroughly.  Why,  I  met 
an  American  in  Paris  who  had  been  there  just  a  week  and 
was  talking  of  returning  home.    He  thought  he  had  "  done  " 


14  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Europe  !  You  Americans  think  you  can  do  Europe  in  three 
months  ! 

Captain. — Pray  how  long  have  you  been  in  the  United 
States  ? 

Mr.  Pinker. — Just  long  enough  to  come  across  and  take 
Niagara  in. 

Captain. — I  thought  so.  That's  just  the  way  nine  out  of 
every  ten  Englishmen  do  up  the  States.  I've  met  lots  of 
them  on  this  route.  You  fellows  jump  on  the  train  at  New 
York.  Then  you  make  a  rush  because  you  have  heard  that 
railway  traveling  is  dangerous  in  America,  and  you  never 
know  when  a  band  of  Sioux  will  board  the  train.  At 
Niagara  you  scamper  on  to  the  Canadian  side,  and  then 
tliank  your  stars  that  you  are  safe.  Then  you  make  a  bee- 
line  for  San  Francisco  and  board  the  first  steamer  for 
Japan.  And  after  that  you  consider  yourselves  fit  to  discuss 
America,  socially,  politically,  and  otherwise.  You  fellows 
lack  consistency. 

Mr.  Pinker. — Well,  I  saw  enough  to  see  that  Americans 
all  live  in  hotels.  Your  daughters  trail  their  dresses  through 
public  drawing-rooms  everywhere. 

Mr.  Dobbs. — After  what  you  have  said,  it  can  hardly  be 
expected  that  you  should  possess  an  exhaustive  and  critical 
comprehension  of  our  institutions.  I  have  lived  in  America 
thirty  years,  and  I  feel  confident  in  asserting  that  as  regards 
America  outside  of  the  large  cities,  your  statement  is  essen- 
tially incorrect. 

Mr.  Pinker.— V\Q  been  told  so  by  many  travelers.  Then 
there's  an  awful  amount  of  rascality  in  America.  The  ve- 
nality is  something  frightful.  The  papers  are  full  of  it. 
Even  the  railroad  corporations  are  corrupt.  In  coming  over 
on  the  train,  it  was  a  subject  of  remark  how  the  Union 
Pacific  Company  ignored  the  interests  of  the  passengers. 
And  besides,  the  cars  in  America  never  go  over  twenty-tive 
miles  an  hour.  Now  between  London  and  Liverpool  we 
have  trains  that  go  over  fifty  miles  per  hour. 


A    VOYAGE  ACROSS    THE  PACIFIC.  1 5 

Mr.  Griggs. — Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  Erie  road  ? 

Mr.  Pinker.— ^o. 

Mr.  Griggs. — Well,  what  are  you  blowing  for  then  ? 
We  have  got  trains  there  that  go  as  fast  as  any  in  England. 

Mr.  Pinker. — I  don't  believe  it. 

Mr.  Griggs. — Look  here,  my  friend.  I  see  what  you  Eng- 
lish want  You  want  us  to  make  a  clean,  unadulterated,  up- 
and-down,  out-and-out  confession  that  republicanism  is  a 
failure  ;  that  the  American  social  system  is  mawkishly  tame  ; 
that  our  political  institutions  are  corrupt  to  the  core  ;  that 
our  people  are  rapidly  degenerating  into  effeminacy  and  im- 
becility ;  that  education  of  the  masses  is  bosh  ;  that  the 
abolishing  of  our  Constitution  and  the  adoption  of  British  in- 
stitutions is  merely  a  question  of  time  ;  and  that  our  benighted 
citizens  are  gradually  becoming  aware  of  these  facts,  and  are 
beginning  to  see  the  error  they  committed  a  hundred  years 
ago  in  separating  from  the  essence  of  political  freedom. 
When  we  have  humiliated  ourselves  to  that  extent  and  suf- 
ficiently groveled  in  the  dust,  you  may  possibly  be  induced  to 
smile  upon  us  ;  and  may  condescend  to  appoint  governors  to 
fatten  off  us ;  and  may  modestly  send  over  tax-collectors  to 
fill  the  depleted  treasuries  of  your  bankrupt  government,  and 
to  squeeze  out  of  us  wherewith  to  help  support  your  useless, 
scrofulous  breed  of  nobles  that  now  greedily  looks  upon  our 
prosperity. 

All.— I  say,  hold  on  !  Are  you  wound  up  for  any  special 
length  of  time  ? 

Mr.  yones.— Let  the  steward  clear  the  table,  and  we'll  ad- 
journ to  the  smoking-room,  where  brother  Griggs  may  con- 
tinue his  speech. 

{Exeunt,) 

That's  about  the  way  it  goes.  I  always  thought 
that  Americans  were  given  to  bragging.  But  I 
must  confess  that  the  English  are  just  as  bad.     I 


1 6  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

find  that  the  elements  of  human  nature  are  the 
same  all  over  the  world.  And  it  takes  a  sea  voyage 
to  bring  out  all  its  phases.  Take  the  Bulbiferous 
Endogen,  for  example,  and  her  partner.  There 
you  have  an  aggressive  female  linked  to  an  insipid 
man.  She  represents  a  type  of  womanhood  which, 
thank  heavens,  will  never  be  very  popular.  It  cer- 
tainly is  not  a  fair  specimen  of  our  American  ladies. 
She  has  energy  and  positiveness  enough  for  a  school- 
boy, but  she  lacks  the  true  instincts  of  a  lady.  She 
is  well  read  and  has  considerable  intelligence,  but 
she  parades  her  knowledge  so  incessantly  that  you 
become  disgusted.  She  takes  endless  pains  to  let 
you  know  that  she  is  intellectual  and  scholarly  ;  yet 
she  is  oblivious  of  the  fact  that  true  scholarship  is 
always  modest,  and  that  only  pedants  love  to  dis- 
play. Once  in  a  while  she  gets  off  a  clever  remark, 
but  the  superficiality  that  invariably  accompanies 
these  hits  quite  destroys  their  effect ;  and  the  air 
of  conscious  superiority  that  she  assumes  fairly 
makes  you  pity  her.  After  conversing  with  her 
about  ten  minutes  you  are  usually  refreshed  with 
the  information  that  she  graduated  at  the  head  of 
her  class  in  some  college ;  that  there  were  some 
vic7t  in  the  same  class,  but  that  they,  of  course,  were 
entirely  inferior  to  the  ladies  in  scholarship ;  that 
she  has  studied  Latin,  Greek,  higher  mathematics, 
logic,  rhetoric,  chemistry,  and  lots  of  other  things ; 
that  she  is  proficient  in  French  and  German  ;  that 
she  considers  herself  equal  to  any  Harvard  or  Yale 
graduate ;  that  it  is  all  bosh  to  say  any  intellectual 


A    VOYAGE  ACROSS   THE  PACIFIC.  ij 

difference  exists  between  men  and  women, — that 
if  any  does  exist  it  is  in  favor  of  women  ;  and 
finally,  that  female  suffrage  is  only  a  question  of 
time.  For  emphasis,  she  gravely  looks  over  her 
glasses  and  slowly  taps  the  arm  of  her  chair  with 
her  fan  so  as  to  direct  with  greater  force  the 
arrow  of  conviction,  and  looks  around  ready  to  an- 
nihilate any  one  should  they  chance  to  question 
her  views.  And  Mustaches  sits  by  tamely  breath- 
ing forth  an  occasional  "That's  so!  By  Jingo!'* 
and  fills  in  the  pauses  by  telling  how  he  prepared 
for  Yale  College  but  did  not  enter  (for  reasons  quite 
obvious),  and  that  he  hopes  to  see  the  day  when 
co-education  and  woman  suffrage  shall  prevail  all 
over  the  United  States.  Bah !  Let  us  drop  this 
compound  of  nauseating  egotism  and  pedantic  prig- 
gish ness. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  day  we  sighted  the  Japan 
coast.  I  went  on  deck  to  get  a  view,  but  could  see 
nothing  that  looked  like  land.  Finally,  just  over 
the  bows,  I  was  able  to  see  the  dim  outlines  of 
snowy  Fujisan  some  eighty  miles  away,  rising  and 
falling  with  the  ship. 

At  mid-day,  we  passed  several  fishing  boats. 
By  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  rounded 
Cape  King  and  entered  Yeddo  Bay.  From  this 
point  up  to  Yokohama  is  a  sail  that  the  visitor  will 
never  forget.  Fishing  boats  are  swarming  in  all 
the  inlets  that  branch  from  the  bay.  The  nude 
condition  of  the  boatmen  much  mortified  our  Jap- 
anese passengers,  who  were  highly  disgusted  at  this 

2 


1 8  LET  TERS  FROM  J  A  PA  N. 

prominent  display  of  nature  unadorned  on  the  part 
of  their  countrymen. 

We  steam  rapidly  up  the  bay,  and  leave  behind 
us  a  lengthened  vista  of  hills,  groves,  temples,  and 
fishing  hamlets.  And  we  drop  anchor  in  Yoko- 
hama harbor  just  as  the  evening  mists  begin  to 
float  from  the  distant  valleys  and  repose  against 
the  sides  of  the  lordly  cone  that  we  sighted  this 
morning. 

We  let  down  the  gangway  and  are  immediately 
beset  by  a  fleet  of  boats  scuffling  for  the  first  place 
beside  it.  While  waiting  the  arrival  of  Fred,  I  lean 
over  the  railing  and  watch  the  surging  crowd  of  half- 
naked  savages  scrambling,  yelling,  and  gesticulat- 
ing in  the  most  demoralized  manner  beneath.  It 
amuses  us  immensely.  And  so  this  is  Japan,  the 
civilized  Japan,  about  which  I  have  heard  so 
much.  Incredible  !  There  must  be  some  mistake  ! 
These  wretches  must  be  imported.  I  turn  to  see 
who  is  grasping  my  arm. — "  Why,  bless  me  !  Fred, 
my  boy,  how  are  you  !  I  didn't  know  you  were 
anywhere  within  a  league. 

Fred. — "  I  have  been  on  the  Bluffs  the  past  hour 
watching  you  coming  up  the  bay.  I  was  just  going 
out  for  my  afternoon  walk  around  Mississippi  Bay 
when  the  gun  went  off.  Come,  get  your  baggage, 
and  let's  be  going.  My  boat  is  waiting.  I  want 
you  to  stay  with  me  in  Yokohama  until  you  have 
negotiated  a  contract." 

In  ten  minutes  we  are  sculling  for  the  shore  at  a 
furious  rate. 


A    VOYAGE  ACROSS   THE  PACIFIC.  19 

"  I  say,  Fred,  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  these 
howling  cannibals  are  Japanese,  do  you  ?" 

Fred. — "  They  are,  my  dear  fellow." 

"  Shades  of  Pompey  !  Well,  how  are  the  people 
in  the  interior?  Do  they  sport  any  more  fine- 
twined  linen  vesture  than  these  yelling  hoodlums?" 

"  My  dear  sir,  these  boatmen  are  high-toned, 
civilized  gentlemen  compared  with  some  of  the 
specimens  that  you  find  in  the  interior.  Why, 
we  old  residents  don't  notice  these  things.  In 
the  interior  the  summer  costume  is  nothing  for 
the  children,  a  waist-cloth  for  the  men,  and  noth- 
ing above  the  waist  for  the  women.  The  Samurai 
class,  however,  are  not  so  economical  in  their  ves- 
ture. They  usually  appear  in  public  fully  dressed. 
But  they  only  constitute  about  three  milHons  out 
of  thirty  millions.  The  merchants  are  also  a  little 
more  careful  in  their  dress.  But  the  masses  dis- 
pense with  as  much  as  possible.  But  around  the 
Treaty  Ports,  the  government  has  commenced 
civilization,  and  are  trying  to  cure  these  people  of 
some  of  their  startling  tricks.  They  have  issued  an 
edict  commanding  all  coming  within  five  miles  of 
Yokohama  to  don  a  short  cotton  tunic.  I  want 
you  to  understand  that  some  of  our  Yokohama 
coolies  are  really  stylish.  For,  in  addition  to  their 
regulation  shirts,  some  of  those  in  the  more  ad- 
vanced stages  of  civilization  will  put  on  a  pair  of 
knee-breeches.  But  the  moment  they  are  beyond 
the  charmed  circle,  off  comes  the  eccentric  western 
paraphernalia,    to    be    slipped    on   again    when   a 


20  LETTERS  FKOAf  JAPAN. 

"  bobby  "  heaves  in  sight.  But  here  we  are  at  the 
French  Hatoba.  Just  walk  up  the  steps.  As  soon 
as  this  custom-house  officer  has  satisfied  himself 
that  you  are  not  trying  to  smuggle  Krupp  guns  in 
your  trunk,  we  will  ride  up  to  my  house." 

Now,  Julius  Marcellus,  you  must  not  be  shocked 
at  these  closing  scenes.  I  have  given  you  a  faith- 
ful picture  of  my  first  impressions  of  Japan.  We 
must  describe  people  as  we  find  them,  not  as  we 
expect  to  find  them.  In  ten  years  such  scenes  will 
be  rare.  Old  residents  here  say  that  Yokohama 
has  greatly  improved  during  the  past  five  years. 
The  people  have  really  made  great  progress.  But 
we  strangers  coming  here,  with  our  minds  filled  with 
the  vivid  descriptions  of  book-makers,  are  apt  to  ex- 
pect too  much.  My  impressions  are,  on  the  whole, 
favorable. 

I  will  keep  you  posted  on  my  progress  in  my 
next. 

Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


A_^_l 


Massi^c^A,^r,Mt   J 


CASTING    T-P    ACCOl-NTS. 


LETTER  III. 

YOKOHAMA. 

Yokohama,  February  2,  1874. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

I  SAT  down  with  the  intention  of  telling  you 
something  about  Yokohama.  But  when  I  come  to 
consider  how  much  has  been  written  about  the 
place,  I  almost  despair  of  telling  you  anything  new. 
My  letter  will,  therefore,  be  very  rambling,  as  I 
wish  to  avoid  broken  ground. 

In  the  first  place,  Yokohama  is  not  Japan.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  cosmopolitan  places  I  can  imagine. 
Almost  all  nationalities  are  here  represented.  So 
that  you  will  hear  very  little  about  the  Japanese 
this  time. 

The  city  is  built  upon  a  broad  tongue  of  land 
jutting  into  Yeddo  Bay.  On  one  side  is  Yokohama 
harbor;  on  the  other  is  Mississippi  Bay.  Through 
the  center  of  this  tongue  passes  a  line  of  low  hills, 
known  as  the  Bluffs.  On  the  harbor  side  are  re- 
claimed rice  fields,  built  up  with  **  godowns "  and 
houses.  This  is  known  as  the  "  Settlement."  Ad- 
joining this  you  have  the  native  town.  On  the 
Mississippi  side  of  the  Bluff  you  have  the  race- 
course, the  rifle   range,  and  a  continued  series  of 


2  2  LETTERS  FROM  JAP  Air. 

hills  covered  with  picturesque  woods  and  wheat 
fields.  Between  the  hills  are  spongy  rice  flats.  The 
Bluff  itself  is  covered  along  its  entire  length  with 
villas,  which  are  separated  from  the  long,  straggling 
road  by  shrubbery.  On  New  Year's  Day  this  road 
presents  a  gay  appearance  with  its  gates  decorated 
with  arches  of  pine  and  bamboo  trees  covered  with 
Mandarin  oranges. 

The  stranger  in  Yokohama  usually  spends  his 
first  morning  in  Curio  Street,  just  outside  the  '*  Set- 
tlement." Here  he  will  find  the  best  and  most 
extensive  assortment  of  bronzes,  lacquer-ware,  and 
silks  to  be  found  in  the  empire  (1874).  On  enter- 
ing a  shop,  the  salesman  tries  to  find  out  whether 
you  are  a  resident  or  a  visitor  from  off  the  ships. 
If  you  are  a  visitor,  the  countenances  of  the  shop- 
keeper and  his  interesting  family  brighten.  And 
he  forthwith  proceeds  to  tuck  on  the  prices  with  a 
cheerful  face  and  a  clear  conscience.  Should  you 
chance,  however,  to  be  an  old  resident,  he  loses  all 
inspiration.  And  the  sale  goes  on  in  a  listless, 
hangdog  sort  of  way,  as  if  he  were  feeling  discour- 
aged at  the  financial  condition  of  the  country.  The 
old  residents  are  at  a  decided  discount,  while 
strangers  are  always  welcome  visitors,  to  be  politely 
enticed  into  the  store  and  relieved  of  as  much 
cash  for  the  least  compensation  as  possible. 

In  the  afternoon  you  leave  the  Settlement,  climb 
the  Bluffs,  and  walk  along  the  beautiful  garden- 
like road  that  leads  out  by  Mississippi  Bay  and  the 
race-course.     This  course  is  not  a  very  good  one. 


YOKOHAMA. 


23 


But  the  apparently  indispensable  nature  of  the  in- 
stitution has  inspired  the  soul  of  the  indomitable 
Saxon  to  such  an  extent  that  the  hilly  nature  of 
the  country  has  been  tolerably  pruned  into  the 
required  classic  shape.  Twice  a  year  Yokohama 
suspends  its  business  and  pours  forth  its  people  to 
resort  hither  to  recall  inspiring  visions  of  Derby 
and  Doncaster,  to  watch  the  striped  jockeys  bob- 
bing round  the  track,  to  bet  upon  some  ill-starred 
brute  that  comes  limping  down  in  the  rear,  to  tes- 
tify their  keen  appreciation  of  trained  horseflesh 
by  judicious  applause,  and  to  show  the  assembled 
heathen  multitudes  how  this  thing  is  done  in  civil- 
ized countries. 

Passing  the  race-course  we  take  the  pretty  road 
down  by  Mississippi  Bay.  Going  through  three  or 
four  miles  of  rice-fields,  it  sweeps  around  toward 
the  other  end  of  the  Bluff.  This  is  the  popular 
drive  for  foreigners.  We  now  come  to  the  rifle 
range.  This  is  where  the  French  and  English  sol- 
diers practice  with  their  ChassepSts  and  Snyders. 
Here,  also,  are  the  grounds  of  the  athletic  associa- 
tion. In  the  spring  and  autumn  the  community 
resorts  hither  to  enjoy  the  "  spawts."  Running, 
jumping,  fencing,  flinging  the  cricket-ball,  throwing 
the  hammer,  and  a  variety  of  other  physical  con- 
tortions supposed  to  be  indicative  of  strength  and 
agility,  furnish  abundant  amusement  to  immense 
crowds  of  natives,  who  view  the  proceedings  with 
much  the  same  appreciation  manifested  by  the  Co- 
rean  Ambassadors  when  witnessing  the  agile  climb- 


24  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

ing  of  the  naval  cadets.  With  languid  sympathy, 
they  remarked  that  there  were  monkeys  in  Corea 
that  could  do  such  things  much  better ! 

We  now  climb  what  is  known  as  the  English 
Bluff.  We  here  have  a  peerless  view  down  the  bay. 
We  will  omit  the  accustomed  ode  to  Fujisan,  which 
can  be  seen  to  best  advantage  at  this  point.  Next 
in  order  comes  the  English  camp,  the  U.  S.  Naval 
Hospital,  and  the  American  Bluffs.  This  dash  of 
the  pen  will  give  you  a  fair  general  idea  of  Yoko- 
hama. 

As  to  the  social  features,  the  Japanese  regard  it 
as  the  wickedest  place  in  the  empire.  Not  but 
what  many  good  people  live  here,  but  it  possesses 
a  vast  capacity  for  working  iniquity.  In  this  re- 
spect it  is  like  all  Oriental  settlements  where  the 
lower  forms  of  our  civilization  come  in  contact 
with  a  degraded  Eastern  society.  The  most  in- 
iquitous people  are  generally  to  be  found  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  civilization  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  The  polite  countryman,  who  ex- 
pects to  find  in  the  foreigner  a  model  of  propriety 
and  intelligence,  seeks  in  vain  for  his  ideal  among 
the  average  community.  And  after  six  months' 
experience  in  the  Settlement,  becomes  transformed 
into  a  brazen-faced  y/;/r/^j/rrt  man,  or  a  saucy  boy, 
laying  aside  his  manners  and  honesty  as  articles  not 
appreciated  by  the  coarse  Saxons,  who  rarely  lose 
an  opportunity  to  drive  merciless  bargains,  and 
who  frequently  adopt  questionable  methods  of 
securing  the  main  chance. 


YOKOHAMA.  25 

To  understand  life  in  Yokohama,  you  must  come 
here  and  live.  The  moral  tone  of  the  European 
community  is  very  low.  In  the  majority  of  cases, 
a  young  man  settles  down  to  a  Hfe  of  license  and 
shame.  The  prevalence  of  this  custom  would  seem 
incredible  to  you  folks  at  home.  The  tone  of  the 
community  is,  however,  better  than  it  was  several 
years  ago.  The  presence  of  large  numbers  of  mis- 
sionaries has  done  much  to  elevate  public  senti- 
ment on  this  point.  Consequently  they  are  bitterly 
hated  by  the  corrupt  portion  of  the  foreign  settle- 
ment. 

Outside  of  business  hours,  the  main  occupation 
of  the  community  is  to  kill  time  in  the  easiest  and 
most  fashionable  manner  possible.  Various  are  the 
expedients  for  the  consummation  of  this  compli- 
cated object.  Till  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
the  Bluff  roads  present  quite  a  deserted  appear- 
ance, while  the  Settlement  is  all  alive.  Then  the 
tide  changes,  and  all  the  Bluff  becomes  alive  with 
pedestrians,  horsemen,  and  carriages,  presenting  a 
gay  and  lively  appearance.  Horseback  riding  is 
much  favored.  Your  thorough-bred  cockney,  pre- 
ceded by  about  half-a-dozen  hounds,  mounts  his 
pony,  and,  accompanied  by  a  yelling  groom  who 
goes  scampering  alongside,  comes  thundering  down 
the  road,  scattering  the  natives  to  right  and  left, 
bows  graciously  to  his  lady  acquaintances,  and  al- 
lows no  mortal  object  to  check  his  career  until 
he  chances  to  spy  Sir  Harry  coming  down  the 
Bluff,  when  it  is  considered   the  proper  thing  to 


26  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

rein    up   and    salute   this   servant   of    the    British 
public. 

The  paper  chase  is  a  popular  item  of  recreation 
that  comes  off  about  half-a-dozen  times  during  the 
winter — these  delightful  winters  that  never  trouble 
you  with  sleet  and  slush.  These  hunts  are  some- 
times on  foot,  and  sometimes  on  horseback.  Torn- 
up  paper  is  scattered  along  the  hedges,  across  the 
neat,  garden-like  fields,  through  the  thickets,  and 
over  the  hills.  Excellent  opportunity  is  then  af- 
forded for  ambitious  athletes  to  bark  their  shins, 
wade  knee-deep  through  mud,  annihilate  their  hab- 
iliments generally,  and  then  come  rushing  home 
to  receive  a  silver  cup  from  the  hands  of  some  fair 
damsel.  And  the  gaping  peasants  wonder  how 
much  per  hour  the  danna-san  charges  for  that  spe- 
cies of  self-immolation.  It  at  first  seemed  to  me 
that  this  chasing  over  the  fields  was  an  arrogant 
infringement  of  the  right  of  property;  and  that 
thirty  or  forty  brogans  tramping  over  the  fields 
would  be  ruinous  to  the  crops.  But  after  several 
conversations  with  our  enlightened  cousins,  and 
after  thoroughly  imbibing  the  spirit  of  the  match- 
less press  of  this  community,  I  clearly  perceive  that 
my  base-born  republican  views  were  to  blame.  I 
am  now  fully  convinced  that  my  plebeian  ideas  of 
the  rights  of  the  vulgar  peasantry  were  utterly  in- 
compatible with  the  hberal  sentiments  of  this  en- 
lightened Settlement.  Truly  it  would  be  a  shame 
to  interrupt  a  party  of  gentlemen  in  pursuit  of 
manly  "  spawts."     On  such  occasions,  persons   at- 


YOKOHAMA, 


27 


tempting  any  interference  must  not  be  surprised 
at  a  cuff  over  the  ears,  or  a  cut  from  a  riding-whip. 
And  I  shudder  as  I  consider  the  benighted  pug- 
nacity that  would  be  displayed  by  some  of  our 
democratic  farmers  as,  slinging  shot-guns  over  their 
shoulders,  they  would  lead  on  a  couple  of  bull-dogs 
to  join  in  the  chase. 

Another  popular  source  of  amusement  is  foot- 
ball. During  the  beautiful  winters  matches  are  of 
frequent  occurrence.  Sometimes  it  is  England 
against  the  world.  Sometimes  it  is  old  residents 
against  new  residents.  And  sometimes  it  is  the 
fleet  against  the  Settlement.  On  these  occasions, 
the  brass  band  from  the  flagship  will  kindly  lend 
its  services. 

Then  we  have  the  Dramatic  Association,  which 
furnishes  its  quota  of  entertainment  during  the  cold 
season.  The  theater  on  these  occasions  is  well 
patronized  by  the  community.  During  the  warm 
season  this  association  will  give  an  open-air  enter- 
tainment in  the  Public  Gardens  on  the  Bluff.  This 
is  a  rare  treat, — at  least  for  the  spectators.  But 
the  rarity  of  such  performances  would  rather  indi- 
cate that  the  parties  directly  concerned  considered 
it  no  joke  to  sweat  through  quarter  of  an  inch  of 
powdering  on  time. 

We  may  also  mention  boating  in  our  list.  For 
about  five  weeks  in  the  spring  your  Yokohama  ath- 
lete drops  his  pipe  and  beer  long  enough  to  bring 
his  body  into  trim.  The  races  are  generally  between 
Scotch  and  English  crews.     The  Americans  rarely 


28  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

participate,  and  consequently  sink  below  zero  in  the 
estimation  of  the  sporting  public.  The  newspapers 
frequently  suggest  that  races  be  arranged  between 
Yokohama,  Kob6,  Nagasaki,  and  Shanghai.  An 
occasional  regatta  is  the  result.  But  the  distance 
between  places,  and  the  fact  that  the  participants 
cannot  often  leave  their  business,  will  always  more 
or  less  interfere  with  these  amusements. 

But  I  may  safely  say  that  hunting  and  loafing 
constitute  the  ideal  recreations  of  Yokohama.  To 
don  a  loose  suit  of  clothing,  to  stretch  back  in  a 
long  chair,  to  languidly  suck  your  pipe  and  sleepily 
read  the  latest  novel  in  the  deep  shade  of  your  cool 
veranda,  form  delicious  relaxations  preferable  to  all 
others.  And  when  your  bosom  friend,  Slukes, 
lounges  in,  you  can  order  the  boy  to  bring  the  iced 
drinks,  and  then  dreamily  slip  into  an  exquisite  dis- 
sertation on  Japanese  inefficiency  and  the  latest 
missionary  scandal  concocted  by  the  outside  com- 
mittee of  Yokohama,  which,  by  the  way,  appears 
to  hold  perpetual  session  on  the  private  affairs  of 
the  community  at  large. 

But  should  all  these  afore-mentioned  diversions 
fail  to  satisfy  the  public  appetite,  it  then  devolves 
upon  the  three  and  a  half  local  papers  to  enliven 
the  e7inuu  It  is  sometimes  quite  difficult  for  the 
ingenious  members  of  the  combined  editorial  staffs 
to  furnish  therequired  amount  and  variety  of  ma- 
terial to  suit  the  fastidious  taste  of  our  highly  dis- 
criminating community.  An  acute  diatribe,  how- 
ever, severely  handling  the  legislative  performances 


YOKOHAMA.  29 

of  the  government  is  always  in  order.  Selections 
of  choice  jokes  and  witticisms  culled  from  American 
papers  are  peculiarly  acceptable.  And  a  bitter  con- 
troversy between  the  chaplain  and  the  community, 
upon  some  trifling  church  affair,  is  an  invigorating 
species  of  diversion  that  appears  to  have  peculiar 
charms,  and  is  devoutly  encouraged  on  all  possible 
occasions.  And  should  some  evangelist  chance  to 
come  to  town,  his  appearance  in  the  pulpit  will  not 
only  secure  a  full  house  but  columns  replete  with 
attempted  wit,  theological  lore,  and  sublime  non- 
sense upon  the  folly  of  filling  the  minds  of  the  sim- 
ple-minded natives  with  a  lot  of  religious  bosh. 
For  you  must  remember  that  our  Oriental  connoi- 
seur  dearly  loves  an  opportunity  to  criticise  "relig- 
ious buffoonery."  And  some  unfortunate  expres- 
sion or  objectionable  view  uttered  by  the  reverend 
gentleman,  will  furnish  the  magnanimous  and 
casual  anonymous  correspondents  with  teeming 
sheets  long  after  the  victim  has  fled  the  unkindly 
shores. 

Moreover,  the  missionary  furnishes  an  apparently 
unfailing  source  of  recreation.  He  is  served  up 
with  peculiar  relish.  The  Oriental  settlements  seem 
to  take  unbounded  interest  in  the  private  affairs  of 
this  harmless  portion  of  the  community.  It  does 
not  appear  to  be  considered  impertinent  to  publicly 
investigate  their  respective  salaries,  the  houses  they 
live  in,  the  number  of  their  servants,  what  kind  of 
clothes  they  wear,  what  society  they  keep,  the 
petty  misunderstandings  that  may  chance  to  arise 


30  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

among  them,  and  whether  or  not  they  are  actuated 
by  mercenary  motives.  These  gentlemen  of  the 
imperial  race  run  amuck  with  the  whole  clerical 
brotherhood,  and  mercilessly  appropriate,  as  legiti- 
mate subjects  for  literary  cuteness  and  witticism, 
the  most  trivial  circumstances. 

But  should  all  these  themes  become  exhausted, 
it  is  then  the  solemn  duty  of  the  fractional  editorial 
trinity  to  launch  invectives  against  the  vile  corrup- 
tions and  mercenary  venality  of  the  republican  in- 
stitutions of  America.  They  execrate  in  withering 
terms  the  naughty  doings  of  **  t  hat  clever  but  wicked 
people."  And  should  some  dyspeptic  article  against 
the  government  be  found  in  some  democratic  sheet 
that  longs  for  the  days  of  Buchanan,  it  must  be 
copied  verbatim  as  incontestiblc  proof  of  the  speedy 
dissolution  of  the  '*  great  Yankee  farce."  I  never 
knew  so  much  about  America  until  I  came  to  the 
east.  And  I  must  confess  with  humiliation  and  re- 
gret my  utter  ignorance  of  the  genius  of  our  people 
until  I  was  enlightened  by  these  comprehensive 
philosophers.  I  now  see  clearly  that  our  Constitu- 
tion is  based  upon  false  principles;  that  we  will  be 
compelled  soon  by  the  force  of  natural  political 
evolution  and  social  differentiation  to  hav6  a  mon- 
arch and  a  nobility ;  that  Washington,  Adams, 
Jackson,  and  Jefferson  were  fanatical  monomaniacs  ; 
that  but  for  the  immigration  from  Europe  our  ef- 
fete breed  would  soon  become  extinct ;  that  we  are 
thorough  in  nothing,  our  best  work  of  every  de- 
scription being  done  by  imported  foreigners ;  and 


YOKOHAMA. 


31 


that  we  were  blind  to  our  interests  when  we  left 
the  protecting  wing  of  Britannia. 

Am  I  getting  excited?  Not  at  all.  But  this 
is  the  only  way  an  American  can  express  himself. 
The  press  is  entirely  English.  And,  having  no  op- 
posing paper,  they  rather  drift  into  a  characteristic 
disposition  to  bully  our  portion  of  the  community. 
An  occasional  letter  in  one  of  our  home  papers 
checks  them  for  a  while  ;  but  they  soon  forget 
themselves  and  drift  into  their  unfair  and  cynical 
style  of  criticism.  So  you  must  not  be  startled  at 
this  mild  ebullition. 

To  change  the  subject,  it  is  interesting  to  con- 
jecture what  the  future  of  Yokohama  will  be. 
Some  think  that  the  foreign  population  will  in- 
crease until  we  have  a  city  like  Hong-Kong  or 
Shanghai.  Others  think  that  it  will  remain  the 
same.  While  others,  whose  views  I  am  rather  in- 
clined to  endorse,  hold  that  the  foreign  element 
will  gradually  dwindle  down  to  a  few  scores  of  pro- 
fessional residents,  while  the  mercantile  business 
will  be  in  native  hands.  This  ground  is  certainly 
plausible.  There  was  a  time  when  the  foreign 
merchants  here  made  money  rapidly.  But  those 
times  have  passed.  Money  now  comes  slowly. 
There  are  too  many  merchants  for  the  place.  And, 
besides,  the  natives  are  beginning  to  take  much  of 
the  trade  into  their  own  hands.  They  have  mo- 
nopolized all  of  the  cheaper  custom.  They  are  par- 
ticularly apt  in  photography  and  outfitting.  And 
as  each   successive   year  rolls  away  they  become 


32  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

more  competent  to  push  themselves  into  the  higher 
departments  of  business.  Being  able  to  live  upon 
about  one-tenth  of  what  it  costs  a  foreigner  to  live, 
having  no  expensive  establishment  to  keep  up,  and 
being  contented  with  a  lifetime  of  small  gains,  they 
can  defy  the  competition  of  the  European,  who 
must  make  his  fortune  within  ten  or  fifteen  years 
at  the  most. 

It  is  amusing  to  listen  to  the  common  run  of 
trades  gossip  here.  You  gather  the  impression 
that  five  years  is  the  proper  time  wherein  to  make 
a  fortune.  And  if  cash  is  not  fairly  coined  within 
the  allotted  time,  you  hear  no  end  of  talk  about 
hard  times  and  the  rascally  nature  of  the  Japanese 
in  general.  Importers  of  dry  goods  and  European 
clothing,  in  particular,  have  lost  heavily.  When 
the  fact  that  Japan  had  become  civilized  had  fully 
dawned  upon  Europe,  the  keen  tradesmen  of  that 
part  of  the  globe,  with  a  sharp  eye  to  business,  at 
once  clearly  perceived  that  these  unclothed  millions 
must  have  a  general  outfit  of  civilized  vesture. 
Forthwith,  the  incoming  steamers  brought  cargoes 
of  nondescript  dry  goods.  Felt  caps,  superannu- 
ated **plug"  hats,  antiquated  neckties,  thousands 
of  shirts  and  singlets,  combs,  buttons  of  every 
variety,  innumerable  pieces  of  woolens,  hosiery  of 
endless  assortments,  brogans  of  all  known  sizes, — 
in  truth,  beloved  Julius  Marcellus,  you  might  easily 
have  imagined  that  the  combined  efforts  of  all  the 
old-clothes  dealers  in  Europe  had  been  employed 
to  ransack  the  four  corners  of  that  continent  for  all 
species  of  Noachian  apparel. 


YOKOHAMA,  33 

But  there  was  a  miscalculation  somewhere.  The 
market  was  overstocked,  and  the  goods  had  to  be 
sold  at  auction  with  immense  loss.  Your  average 
native,  after  having  invested  in  a  hat,  shirt,  and 
a  pair  of  colored  spectacles,  appeared  to  have 
reached  the  height  of  his  ambition.  He  would  cut 
no  end  of  a  swell  meandering  down  the  streets  of 
his  native  village,  reposing  in  the  sublime  con- 
sciousness of  having  fully  solved  the  intricate  prob- 
lem of  civilization.  This  primitive  simplicity  of 
taste,  however,  does  not  appear  to  have  suited  the 
importer,  thus  reduced  to  the  disagreeable  alterna- 
tive of  having  his  wares  mildew  in  the  godowns  or 
thrown  away  at  auction.  Some  of  the  heavy  losers 
then  lost  faith  in  humanity  in  general,  and  in  the 
Japanese  in  particular.  They  accused  the  unwit- 
ting offenders  of  downright  meanness.  Some 
wanted  the  country  to  be  reduced  to  a  condition 
resembling  that  of  Hindustan.  Some  wanted  all 
the  missionaries  packed  out  of  the  country  as  being 
in  some  way  connected  with  mercantile  reverses. 
And  some  of  the  most  radical  threatened  to  turn 
apostles  themselves,  laboring  under  the  delusion 
that  the  laborers  in  the  vineyard  were  in  receipt 
of  some  three  thousand  dollars  per  year. 

But  the  reasons  for  the  commercial  collapse  are 
easily  found.  The  vast  mass  of  the  natives  arc  too 
miserably  poor  to  invest  in  anything  beyond  head- 
gear. Imagine  a  man,  whose  yearly  income  is 
barely  forty  dollars,  investing  in  our  expensive 
clothing !  When  such  a  party  has  been  improvi- 
dent enough  to  become  the  possessor  of  a  pair  of 
3 


34  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

trowsers,  his  prodigality  has  reached  a  height  of 
extravagance  at  which  he  fairly  trembles.  And 
the  vast  mass  of  the  people  live  on  less  than  six 
dollars  a  month.  Five  dollars  a  month  is  consid- 
ered good  pay.  Seven  dollars  is  very  good  pay, — 
sufficient  to  keep  a  wife  in  considerable  style. 
While  ten  dollars  per  month  would  fairly  stagger 
the  soaring  ambition  of  the  countryman,  being 
enough  to  furnish  a  new  suit  for  his  father,  a  brand 
new  girdle  for  his  wife,  and  no  end  of  kites  for  the 
children.  A  man  in  receipt  of  such  a  sum  would 
feel  called  upon  to  allow  his  intimate,  less-favored 
friends  to  sponge  numberless  meals  ofif  him,  intend- 
ing, of  course,  to  return  the  compliment  when  the 
fickle  goddess  should  cease  to  smile. 

The  truth  is,  the  Japanese  are  liberal  beyond 
their  means.  That  their  means  are  limited,  from 
our  stand-point,  is  a  melancholy  circumstance  for 
which  they  can  hardly  be  held  accountable.  Should 
I  return  to  Yokohama  in  twenty-five  years,  I  don't 
think  I  would  recognize  it.  By  that  time  I  imagine 
the  European  population  will  have  dwindled  from 
twelve  hundred  to  three  hundred.  And  the  natives 
will  probably  be  dressed  in  full  foreign  costume. 
But  it  will  always  retain  a  larger  foreign  population 
than  any  of  the  treaty  ports,  because  of  its  central 
locality. 

My  next  letter  will  probably  be  dated  from  some 
point  in  the  interior.     Write  soon  and  often. 
Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


LETTER   IV. 

HIROSAKI. 

HlROSAKi,  May  i.  1874. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus  : 

Since  writing  to  you  from  Yokohama,  my  for- 
tunes have  changed  considerably.  I  am  now  in 
the  northern  part  of  Japan.  I  have  just  entered 
upon  my  first  contract  with  the  government  as 
teacher  of  English.  So  here  I  am  in  the  extreme 
northern  end  of  Nippon,  about  nineteen  miles 
from  the  Japan  Sea,  on  the  west,  and  thirty  miles 
from  Awomori  Bay  and  the  Tsugaru  Straits  on  the 
north. 

As  I  am  the  only  white  man  in  the  province  and 
consequently  expect  to  have  abundant  spare  time, 
I  shall  open  an  extensive  correspondence  with  you 
during  my  stay  here.  Hirosaki  was  formerly  the 
capital  of  this  province.  It  is  a  city  of  about  thirty 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  picturesquely  located 
near  some  low  mountains  that  skirt  the  base  of  an 
extinct  volcanic  cone  which  swells  up  from  the 
shores  of  the  Japan  Sea  to  the  height  of  about  six 
thousand  feet.  This  cone  is  much  venerated  by  all 
the  people,  who  call  it  Iwaki-^an,  rock  and  tree 
mountain.     Standing  guard    beside  a  gap  at   the 


36  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

lower  end  of  the  valley,  it  overlooks  the  lesser 
heights  that  sweep  around  its  base  through  the  ad- 
joining provinces.  From  its  summit  you  can  gaze 
beyond  the  Straits  as  far  as  the  dim  outlines  of 
Yesso. 

Hirosaki  is  like  all  Japanese  Daimiate  cities. 
You  find  the  usual  above-ground  drainage  in  gut- 
ters; the  same  style  of  long,  shambling  streets ;  the 
usual  pretty  suburbs  filled  with  monasteries  and 
sacred  groves  ;  and,  finally,  the  more  cleanly  aristo- 
cratic portion  encircling  the  Castle,  where,  in  old 
times,  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  Daimiosvi^x^ 
accustomed  to  live. 

And  now  before  telling  you  anything  more  about 
Hirosaki,  I  will  tell  you  how  I  secured  my  con- 
tract and  how  I  came  here. 

As  you  know,  I  did  not  come  to  Japan  with  any 
specific  opening  in  view.  My  friend,  Adamsoa, 
wrote  to  me  to  come  on,  for  if  I  could  be  on  the 
ground  the  chances  were  very  favorable  for  a  con- 
tract. And  he  was  right.  When  I  had  been  sev- 
eral weeks  in  Yokohama  the  Directors  of  the 
Toogu-Gakko  (School)  in  Hirosaki  came  to  him 
and  requested  his  aid  in  securing  a  teacher  for 
them.  Their  terms  were  very  favorable.  But  I 
did  not  want  to  make  a  contract  for  a  longer  term 
than  eight  months, — that  is,  so  as  to  cover  the 
months  between  February  and  November,  for  the 
northern  weather  is  very  severe.  The  loneliness 
was  also  another  objection.  Our  negotiations  were 
protracted  nearly  a  month,  and  finally  resulted  in  a 


HIROSAKI. 


37 


contract  upon  my  terms.  Our  contract  was  reduced 
to  writing  and  sealed.  This  is  the  usual  way  of 
making  such  agreements.  The  Japanese  always 
strictly  carry  out  these  contracts.  When  a  native 
has  once  put  his  signature  or  seal  to  a  document 
he  invariably  fulfills  the  terms.  Until  he  has  done 
so,  he  is  as  unreliable  as  the  winds. 

I  agreed  to  teach  English  six  hours  per  day 
(Saturdays  and  Sundays  excepted),  and  to  furnish 
all  advice  that  I  thought  requisite  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  school.  They  agreed  to  pay  all  my 
traveling  expenses ;  to  allow  me  the  month  of 
August  for  a  vacation ;  to  duly  respect  my  rights 
as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and,  in  case  of 
grave  misdemeanors,  to  hand  me  over  to  the  nearest 
American  Consul ;  to  pay  me  on  the  twenty-fifth 
of  every  month  ;  to  provide  a  first-class  native 
house,  comfortably  furnished :  to  give  due  notice 
should  a  renewal  of  the  contract  not  be  desired  ; 
and,  in  fullness  of  time,  to  return  me  safely  to 
Yokohama. 

Having  thus  balanced  our  minds,  we  began  dis- 
cussing the  route  that  we  should  select.  To  reach 
Hirosaki,  you  may  choose  two  courses.  Either  go 
entirely  by  land,  passing  up  through  the  extended 
provinces  of  Sendai  and  Nambu,  or  go  to  Hakodate 
and  Awomori  by  steamer,  and  then  go  some  thirty 
miles  by  land. 

I  chose  the  latter  course.  The  directors  were  to 
accompany  me.  These  gentlemen  had  been  re- 
tainers of  the  former  Daimio  of  Hirosaki.     They 


38  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

dressed  in  native  costume.  They  understood  very 
little  English,  but  with  the  assistance  of  Hep- 
burn's Dictionary,  we  got  along  first  rate.  They 
were  exceedingly  obliging  and  attentive,  and  never 
allowed  even  seasickness  to  interfere  with  their 
many  little  acts  of  kindness.  When  we  went 
aboard  the  steamer  they  thoughtfully  placed  some 
oranges  in  my  stateroom  to  relieve  my  seasickness, 
as  they  said.  Weighing  anchor,  we  set  sail.  The 
distance  up  to  Hakodate  is  about  five  hundred  and 
fifty  miles.  We  had  a  rough  passage  up  the  coast, 
and  were  out  facing  the  head-winds  nearly  three 
days.  Hakodate  is  built  on  the  landward  side  of  a 
bold  promontory  that  is  almost  insulated,  being 
connected  with  Yesso  by  a  narrow  isthmus  but  a 
few  feet  above  high  tide.  The  native  population 
is  about  forty  thousand.  The  houses  are  built 
along  the  steep  and  curving  mountain  side,  pre- 
senting a  pretty  view  to  the  incoming  ship.  Great 
numbers  of  fishermen  reside  here.  They  find  the 
surrounding  waters  teeming  with  vast  varieties  of 
marine  life.  The  Japanese  do  not  like  the  severe 
climate  of  this  place  and  shun  it  as  much  as  pos- 
sible during  the  cold  weather.  This  makes  the 
community  very  floating.  During  the  warm  weather 
the  tide  turns,  and  merchants,  laborers,  and  trav- 
elers, stream  up  from  the  south.  Although  the 
cHmate  is  about  like  that  of  New  York  State,  yet 
the  natives,  having  none  of  our  heating  appliances, 
find  it  very  trying.  Fish  and  sea-weed  form  the 
chief  exports  of  the  place.     Very  few  vessels  float 


HIROSAKI. 


39 


in  the  harbor  during  the  year.  T\iQ  patois  is  said 
to  be  the  coarsest  in  Japan.  The  customs  and 
manners  are  regarded  as  very  rude  and  uncultured. 
The  refined  Tokio  gentlemen  regard  the  social  in- 
stitutions of  Hakodate  with  much  the  same  feelings 
manifested  by  the  Romans  for  the  truculent  Hel- 
vetii.  If  you  chance  to  breathe  the  word  Yesso  to 
a  warm-blooded  southerner,  a  chill  instantly  passes 
down  his  back,  and  with  a  shiver  he  will  inform 
you  that  it  is  cold  up  there,  and  that  the  people  are 
barbarous. 

The  foreign  population  in  Hakodate  docs  not  ex- 
ceed thirty.  With  about  half-a-dozen  exceptions, 
the  white  delegation  is  decidedly  discreditable  to 
civilization.  Licentiousness  and  depravity  are  here 
given  full  swing.  The  forms  of  degraded  vileness 
that  you  come  across  here  fairly  make  you  blush 
for  your  race. 

Hakodate  is  desolate  enough  for  the  natives,  but 
it  is  more  so  for  the  foreigners.  There  are  no  en- 
tertainments at  all.  Hunting  is  the  chief  sport. 
Excitement  of  any  kind  rarely  occurs.  Six  years 
ago,  however,  the  place  at  last  became  registered 
in  Japanese  history.  Here  the  rebellious  forces  of 
the  Shogun  made  their  final  stand.  For  several 
days  the  harbor  and  Head  presented  a  lively  ap- 
pearance. Several  gunboats  were  destroyed.  And 
early  one  morning,  before  the  mist  had  lifted,  the 
Imperial  forces  made  a  masterly  maneuver  around 
the  Head  and  struck  the  rebels  in  the  rear.  A 
hot  scuffle  ensued.     The  rebels  were  demolished, 


40  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

and  the  place  then  settled  down  to  its  ancient 
repose. 

We  remained  in  Hakodate  several  days.  We 
then  took  steamer  for  Awomori.  The  distance  is 
fifty-six  miles.  At  this  season  the  passage  is  intensely 
rough.  If  this  route  were  in  the  direct  line  of 
travel,  it  would  speedily  acquire  a  most  unenviable 
reputation.  The  fierce  gales  rushing  down  the 
Tsugaru  Straits,  together  with  the  swift  current, 
make  a  wild,  chopped  sea,  very  disagreeable  to  en- 
counter. During  these  trips  the  native  passen- 
gers strew  the  decks,  being  fearfully  seasick.  The 
women,  in  particular,  are  great  sufferers.  At  dusk 
our  little  steamer  dropped  anchor  near  Awomori 
beach.  The  bay  is  a  large  one,  and  is  enclosed  by 
headlands  stretching  northward.  Behind  the  groves 
and  villages  rise  the  snow-clad  mountains.  Before 
going  ashore,  my  attendants  brought  me  some 
bread  that  they  had  purchased  in  Hakodate.  For 
you  must  bear  in  mind  that,  although  this  place  is 
but  a  few  hours  steaming  from  that  place,  yet  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  obtain  foreign  provisions  here. 
In  going  into  the  interior,  even  for  a  few  miles, 
you  have  to  carry  your  **  chow,"  as  it  is  called.  I 
was  much  impressed  with  their  kind  thoughtful- 
ness  in  the  matter. 

On  the  beach  we  were  met  by  two  of  my  future 
scholars,  who  had  come  up  to  anticipate  our  arrival. 
They  spoke  English  fairly  well.  Considering  that 
they  had  only  studied  it  for  one  year,  off  in  the 
interior,  where  they  could  never  hear  it  spoken,  the 


HIROSAKI.  41 

wonder  is  that  they  were  inteHigible  at  all.  They 
committed  the  common  error  of  putting  English 
words  to  Japanese  idioms.  As  they  had  simply 
studied  text-books,  their  supply  of  conversational 
English  was  very  limited.     To  illustrate: 

'*  We  welcome  you,  dear  master." 

"  How  is  your  health?" 

"If  you  desire  anything,  command  us  to  do  it. 
How  do  you  call  your  name  ?" 

I  was  so  much  pleased  to  meet  them,  however, 
that  I  took  no  notice  of  their  rather  obscure  ad- 
dress, and  guessed  at  their  meaning  and  answered 
all  questions. 

"  Follow  me  and  I  will  guide  you,"  said  the 
spokesman,  taking  a  lantern  and  leading  the  way 
through  the  long  lines  of  boats  and  nets  upon  the 
beach. 

We  soon  reached  the  streets.  Everything  was 
silent  and  dark.  No  street  lamps  anywhere. 
Here  indeed  was  real  Japan.  There  was  nothing 
to  remind  one  of  civilization  save  a  slight  sprink- 
ling of  ancient  hats  and  neckties.  The  sidewalks 
were  about  four  feet  wide.  They  were  of  hard 
ground  and  were  covered  with  a  shed,  so  that  loco- 
motion need  not  be  obstructed  during  the  severe 
winters,  when  the  snow  is  heaped  up  nearly  to  the 
eaves  of  the  houses.  We  must  have  made  a  weird 
appearance  as  we  marched  along  in  single  file  up 
the  sheds  dimly  lighted  by  the  swaying  lanterns 
of  the  company,  whose  clattering  clogs  filled  the 
streets  with  a  prolonged  din,  and  whose  petticoat- 


42  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

like  //^^^?«^j' grotesquely  flaunted  from  side  to  side 
as  we  lengthened  our  strides.  After  some  ten 
minutes'  brisk  walking,  our  leader  suddenly  stop- 
ped beside  a  wicket-like  door  and  called  out  to 
somebody  inside.  The  door  was  slid  back,  and  a 
top-knot  popped  out  to  view  the  situation.  He 
told  us  to  come  in.  We  stooped  and  entered  the 
hotel,  for  such  it  was. 

The  landlord  welcomed  us  by  bowing  his  head 
three  times  down  to  the  tatamis*  (mats).  My 
future  ''boy"  was  then  brought  forward.  He 
fetched  a  tub  of  warm  water  and  a  towel  and  be- 
gan washing  the  mud  off  my  shoes.  He  was  ex- 
cessively timid  and  cowering.  We  then  went  up- 
stairs in  our  stocking  feet.  The  entire  upper  story 
had  been  set  apart  for  our  accommodation.  In 
honor  of  the  occasion  the  landlord  had  borrowed 
a  chair  from  a  friend  who  had  been  enterprising 
enough  to  import  it  from  Hakodate.  It  was  not 
remarkably  strong.     I  sat  upon  it  and  warmed  my- 

*  The  word  tatami  has  almost  become  anglicized  in  Japan,  there 
being  no  English  word  that  adequately  represents  it  ;  and  it  is  a 
word  that  from  necessity  will  be  much  used  in  these  letters.  Tata- 
mis  are  heavy  padded  mats  about  seven  feet  long,  three  feet  wide, 
and  about  two  inches  thick.  They  are  the  only  covering  that  the 
Japanese  ever  use  for  their  floors.  They  constitute  the  principal 
feature  in  a  native  house,  for,  from  their  soft  nature,  they  ser\'e  as 
beds,  chairs,  and  tables.  Being  all  of  the  same  size,  they  form  the 
unit  of  measure  in  estimating  the  dimensions  of  native  stniciures, 
which  are  usually  cited  as  containing  such  and  such  a  number  of 
tatamis,  the  temple  of  Chioin  in  Kioto,  for  instance,  being  quoted 
as  having  five  hundred.  They  are  manufactured  of  soft  rushes,  and 
are  bordered  with  silken  edges. 


STREET   VENDER. 


HIROSAKL  43 

self  over  a  hebachi  (brazier  filled  with  charcoal), 
while  my  attendants  sat  around  on  the  floor  in  a 
circle  warming  their  finger-tips,  for  this  seems  to 
be  the  only  part  of  the  Japanese  body  suscepti- 
ble of  cold.  I  suffered  much  from  the  cold.  The 
change  from  Yokohama,  with  its  green  grass  and 
budding  flowers,  to  these  chilling  March  storms 
blowing  right  off  from  Siberia,  was  too  sudden 
to  be  comfortable.  While  my  boy  was  prepar- 
ing supper,  they  compared  notes  and  tapped  their 
pipes  perpetually  on  the  rim  of  the  hebachi; 
and  I  examined  the  pretty  designs  on  the  slid- 
ing doors.  Finally  my  supper  was  ready,  but 
there  was  no  table,  and  how  was  it  to  be  served  ? 
Here  was  a  complication  that  taxed  the  ingenu- 
ity of  the  whole  group.  They  unanimously  voted 
that  it  would  never  do  to  serve  it  on  the  floor. 
After  much  discussion  and  smoking,  decision  was 
finally  rendered  in  favor  of  placing  two  orange 
boxes  on  top  of  each  other  and  spreading  a  red 
blanket  over  them.  The  company  then  filed  out 
of  the  room,  and  I  took  my  seat  and  awaited  the 
opening  of  the  programme.  Fish,  rice,  pears,  and 
omelets  were  brought  in  on  little  dishes.  After 
the  boy  had  placed  them,  he  knelt  down  to  await 
orders.  Calling  in  my  interpreter,  I  intimated  that 
it  would  be  more  agreeable  to  me  to  have  him 
standing.  Thereafter  he  stood  up,  but  always 
wore  a  troubled  expression,  as  if  wondering  at  his 
own  audacity.  After  supper  I  had  quite  a  con- 
versation with  my  interpreter.     I  found  him  to  be 


44  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

a  person  of  excellent  parts.  He  was  extremely 
anxious  to  travel  abroad.  I  was  much  amused  at 
the  ponderous  words  he  used  in  apologizing  for  the 
necessity  of  my  sleeping  on  the  floor,  as  there  was 
no  bedstead  in  the  hotel. 

Our  plan  was  to  start  for  Hirosakiat  five  o'clock 
the  follov/ing  morning.  But  the  negotiation  for 
horses  delayed  us  until  eight.  It  took  quite  a 
while  to  load  the  beasts,  for  they  were  restless  until 
they  were  satisfied  with  kicking  and  biting  each 
other.  At  last  we  got  ofT  amid  a  drizzle  of  sleet. 
I  had  expected  to  go  cantering  over  the  road  in 
jolly  style.  But  as  none  of  the  party  could  keep 
up  so  as  to  show  me  the  way,  I  had  to  drag  along 
with  the  crowd.  This  horseback  riding  was  a  new 
feature  in  my  experience.  It  was  positively  the 
most  entertaining — nay,  more,  I  confess  it  was  the 
most  absurd  piece  of  atrocity  ever  inflicted  upon 
your  humble  servant.  A  full-grown,  able  bodied 
man  leads  each  horse  with  a  straw  rope.  Just  fancy 
four  men  riding  in  this  imbecile  manner  over  a 
plain  road  !  And  you  can't  hurry  them  up. 
Whenever  one  of  the  nags  endeavors  to  shake  up 
the  funeral  a  trifle,  his  man  harshly  admonishes 
him. 

We  met  long  strings  of  horses  and  men  coming 
down  the  mountains.  They  were  all  pacing  along 
at  a  miserable  hang-dog  gait  that  nearly  drove  me 
wild.     Merciful  Zeus!  What  next? 

These  nags  are  an  unreliable  set.  The  zest  with 
which  they  improve  all  opportunities  to  kick  each 


HIROSAKL  45 

Other  is  marvelous.  A  couple  of  model  specimens 
of  horse  flesh  will  be  meandering  along  as  if  pro- 
foundly considering  the  true  inwardness  of  nags  in 
general,  until  they  come  side  by  side,  when,  with 
inspired  rapidity,  they  begin  slamming  their  hoofs 
into  each  other's  sides,  utterly  regardless  how  far 
their  riders  are  flung  over  their  heads  into  the  deep 
mud  of  the  rice  fields.  As  their  shoes  are  made  of 
straw,  they  never  damage  each  other  very  much 
by  these  displays  of  temper. 

By  mid-day  we  had  passed  over  the  mountains. 
There  was  much  rugged  scenery.  My  boy  had 
gone  on  to  prepare  dinner  at  the  mid-way  village. 
Our  road  was  now  level.  All  the  country  is  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Rice  is  produced  in 
every  available  spot.  The  long  valleys,  that  go 
winding  up  into  the  mountains,  are  all  terraced  and 
flooded  for  this  purpose.  In  the  valley,  to  our 
right  and  left,  extensive  rice  fields  stretch  off  to 
the  hazy  mountains.  Innumerable  villages,  pictu- 
resquely shaded  by  clumps  of  trees,  are  scattered 
along  the  winding  road  where  endless  squads  of 
pack-horses  are  passing  and  repassing.  All  the 
houses  up  here  are  covered  with  tissue  shingle 
weighted  down  by  stones.  Those  who  can  not 
afford  this,  thatch  theirs  with  rice  straw.  All  the 
yards  are  surrounded  with  pretty  hedges.  Across 
the  north-west  face  of  every  house  you  will  see  a 
high  screen  made  of  rush  mats  to  protect  the  ten- 
ants from  the  deep  drifting  snows  which  are  hurled 
down  the  valley  during  the  bitter  winter  months. 


46  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Life  in  these  villages  must  be  dreary  in  the  extreme 
during  cold  weather. 

Abo^t  four  miles  from  Hirosaki  I  met  the  whole 
school.  They  had  waded  through  a  quantity  of 
slush  that  1  would  not  have  gone  through  even  to 
see  the  Nana  Sahib.  They  were  drawn  up  along 
each  side  of  the  main  street  of  a  large  village.  As 
we  appeared  they  welcomed  us  with  profuse  bow- 
ings. The  entire  village,  numbering  some  two 
thousand  pieces  of  humanity,  had  also  turned  out. 
It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  sensation  of  a  per- 
son lionized  for  the  first  time.  When  you  are  hard 
at  work  on  a  match  game  of  base-ball  and  have  the 
entire  field  to  yourself,  you  don't  mind  three  or 
four  thousand  pairs  of  eyes  watching  you.  But  to 
ride  through  a  crowd  that  is  drinking  in  all  your 
gestures,  with  mingled  feelings  of  curiosity  and  ad- 
miration, makes  one  feel  like  evaporating. 

Arriving  in  front  of  the  crowded  hotel,  his  High- 
ness(!)  was  assisted  from  his  fiery  nag  and  duly  es- 
corted into  a  suite  of  rooms  where  the  entire  school, 
numbering  some  ninety  scholars,  were  sitting  in 
semicircular  rows  upon  the  tatamis.  Around  an 
extemporized  table  beside  the  window  was  grouped 
a  party  of  school  officials.  Through  the  medium 
of  the  interpreters,  a  mutual  introduction  followed. 
TJien  came  some  of  the  steepest  bowing  on  record 
in  the  annals  of  this  obscure  village.  First  the  in- 
terpreters bowed  to  the  officials.  Then  the  offi- 
cials bowed  to  the  interpreters.  In  bowing,  they 
got  down  on  all  fours  and  mutually  bent  their  fore- 


HIROSAKL 


47 


heads  down  to  the  iataitiis  three  times  in  succes- 
sion, at  the  same  time  sucking  their  breath  between 
their  teeth,  expressive  of  their  intense  pleasure  at 
the  honor  of  the  salutation.  Then  the  scholars 
saluted  the  officials,  the  directors,  the  interpreters, 
and  his  Highness,  with  repeated  waves  of  obeis- 
ances. His  Highness  returned  the  salute  by  un- 
loosing the  vertebrae  of  his  neck  sufficiently  to  al- 
low his  head  to  duck  forward  a  few  degrees.  Then 
followed  a  tempest  of  mutual  kowtozving  that  beg- 
gared description.  The  entire  crowd  dissolved 
into  incoherent  atoms  of  bobbing  heads.  There 
were  special  salutations  between  special  friends. 
And  the  special  friends,  to  make  things  doubly 
sure,  repeated  their  special  salutations.  And  to 
help  on  the  good  work,  the  landlord  and  his  lady 
came  in  and  showered  indiscriminate  greetings 
upon  the  special  friends,  the  directors,  the  officials, 
the  interpreters,  and  his  Highness  combined.  I 
must  confess  that  his  Highness  was  bewildered 
with  the  scene.  Bowing  with  the  Japanese  is  a 
real  means  of  social  grace.  They  revel  in  it ;  they 
really  seem  to  love  it.  In  their  efforts  to  outdo 
each  other,  the  assembly  seemed  to  him  to  be  al- 
most frantic.  He  became  exhilarated,  inspired, — 
nay,  almost  infatuated  with  the  desire  to  bounce 
down  and  root  over  the  tatamis  like  a  wild  rhi- 
noceros. But,  like  a  rock  upon  a  surf-swept  shore, 
he  calmly  surveyed  the  wild  "  confusion  thrice  con- 
founded,** and  helped  himself  to  some  tea  and 
cakes ! 


48  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

After  things  had  somewhat  subsided,  the  spokes- 
man of  the  senior  class  made  a  little  address  in  fair 
English,  wherein  were  contained  sundry  glowing 
congratulations  upon  the  safe  arrival  of  his  High- 
ness, boundless  pleasure  that  the  weather  and  the 
ocean  had  been  propitious,  sincere  desires  that  the 
fatigues  of  the  journey  would  soon  vanish,  and 
ardent  hopes  that  the  future  would  be  quite  as 
favorable  in  all  respects. 

Now  his  Highness  was  not  expert  at  impromptu 
addresses,  so  he  was  cornered.  He,  therefore,  re- 
sponded with  an  approving  bow  and  a  few  words 
of  thanks,  supplemented  with  some  rather  indefi- 
nite sentiments  about  the  cordial  relations  that 
ought  to  exist  between  instructor  and  pupil,  and 
coupled  with  a  rather  hazy  observation  about 
general  good  understanding  between  all  parties 
present. 

The  assembly  now  dissolved  ;  his  Highness  to  re- 
sume his  journey  in  the  dusk,  the  scholars  to  plod 
back  through  the  slush  on  the  morrow. 

It  was  late  in  the  night  before  our  weary  party 
entered  the  deserted  streets  of  Hirosaki.  It  was 
raining  heavily,  and  the  sleepy  horsemen  were 
obliged  to  carefully  pick  their  way  through  the  dark- 
ness. Yonder,  to  our  right,  the  trees  around  the 
castle  loomed  up  grandly  in  the  night.  Our  road 
led  along  the  borders  of  the  ditch  and  then  turned 
sharply  to  the  left, — "  Look  out,  man  !  You'll  have 
me  in  the  moat !  Where  are  you  going,  you  loon  ?  " 
The  drowsy  fellow  had  well-nigh  walked  the  horse 


HIROSAKI.  49 

into  the  stagnant  waters.  He  rouses  himself;  and 
in  a  few  moments  leads  me,  half-frozen,  into  the 
gateway  of  my  future  home. 

My  house  was  a  good  native  dwelling,  having 
eight  rooms.  My  boy  had  already  arrived,  and, 
with  the  partner  of  his  mundane  vicissitudes,  was 
the  first  to  welcome  the  new  master  of  the  house. 
I  found  the  interior  decidely  homelike.  There  were 
a  couple  of  genuine  tables,  a  first-rate  writing-desk, 
five  or  six  folding-chairs,  two  large  rugs,  two  bureaus, 
a  stove,  and  glass  windows.  The  fire  was  lighted 
and  I  began  rapidly  to  thaw  out.  Feeling  very 
ravenous,  I  made  short  work  of  a  roast  chicken 
some  fried  potatoes,  and  some  griddle  cakes.  I 
then  slept  the  sleep  that  none  but  the  weary  know. 

The  next  morning,  the  directors  and  scholars 
called  upon  me.  They  were  all  dressed  in  native 
costume.  Many  of  them  wore  Manchester  singlets 
and  woolen  shirts.  A  few  of  those  who  desired  to 
be  stylish,  and  set  the  fashion  for  my  future  levees, 
wore  collars  and  neckties.  We  shook  hands  all 
around  instead  of  bowing.  They  all  had  their  hair 
cut  in  foreign  style.  But  a  glance  at  the  method 
of  tonsure  made  me  form  a  mighty  resolve  to  cut 
my  own  hair  while  a  sojourner  here. 

Then  followed  the  indispensable  exchange  of  com- 
pliments. It  was  hoped  that  the  teacher  would 
find  this  poor  house  fit  to  live  in ;  that  there  was 
no  better  accommodation  in  the  city,  but,  inferior 
as  it  was,  they  hoped  the  teacher  who  had  left  so 
many  civilized  luxuries  would  find  it  comfortable; 

4 


50  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

and  that  they  were  deh'ghted  with  my  prosperous 
journey  and  safe  arrival. 

To  which,  reply  was  made  that  the  house  and 
furniture  were  much  beyond  expectation  ;  that  they 
would  furnish  much  comfort  and  pleasure  ;  and  that 
very  many  thanks  were  returned  for  the  kind  atten- 
tions shown. 

Formalities  being  finished,  they  proposed  to  assist 
me  in  unpacking  my  baggage.  Although  there 
could  be  no  use  for  ninety  pairs  of  hands,  yet  I  ac- 
cepted the  well-meant  offer,  intending,  however,  to 
perform  all  the  work  myself.  Taking  my  hammer, 
I  began  on  my  box  of  books.  But  that  would  never 
do  !  It  was  abhorrent  to  their  ideas  of  etiquette 
that  I  should  work  while  so  many  stood  around 
idle.  In  deference  to  their  importunity,  I  sub- 
mitted, and  handed  the  hammer  to  one  of  the  senior 
scholars,  who  immediately  flung  back  his  loose  dress 
over  his  shoulders  and  began  energetically  pounding 
away  without  having  any  definite  idea  how  the 
thing  was  done  ;  for  the  Japanese  never  use  nails 
in  their  frail,  shell-like  boxes,  so  that  one  of  our 
ponderous  dry-goods  boxes  assumes  formidable  pro- 
portions to  them. 

Five  minutes*  thumping  fetched  out  profuse  per- 
spiration, half  a  dozen  chips,  and  about  a  square 
inch  of  skin  from  the  knuckles.  This  mishap  caused 
intense  merriment  among  the  bystanders.  While 
number  one  was  sucking  the  back  of  his  hand,  num- 
ber two  vigorously  grasped  the  instrument  and 
speedily  succeeded   in  giving  himself  a  black  and 


HIROSAKL 


51 


blue  nail  amid  peals  of  laughter.  He  dropped  the 
hammer  like  a  hot  coal.  Number  three  then  picked 
it  up  with  a  gusto  that  foreboded  the  immediate 
lifting  of  the  obstinate  lid.  He  stood  up  to  his 
work  right  manfully  until  a  tremendous  whack 
glanced  from  the  edge  of  the  box  upon  his  shin, 
while  the  small  boys  of  the  third  class  nearly  died 
laughing.  Number  four,  five,  and  six  then  retired 
from  the  field  more  or  less  grievously  wounded. 
The  senior  class  was  nearly  decimated  ;  and  there 
was  a  fair  prospect  of  the  entire  school  being  num- 
bered among  the  victims  before  the  boxes  were 
opened.  The  directors  stood  scratching  their  heads 
and  were  muttering  that  it  was  decidedly  viudsu- 
kashi  (difficult).  In  this  perplexing  dilemma,  we 
were  observed  to  carelessly  pick  up  the  luckless 
hammer  and  knock  off  the  wood  from  around  a 
crevice.  Then  inserting  the  other  end  of  the  in- 
strument, we  pried  up  the  lid  with  the  greatest  im- 
aginable ease  amid  a  subdued  murmuring  of  "  Nara- 
hodo  !  So-dis-ne?  "  which  may  be  liberally  translated, 
"  Ton  my  honor!     That's  the  way,  isn't  it?" 

The  box  was  now  fairly  opened.  The  books 
were  then  unpacked  and  passed  down  a  long  line 
of  hands  to  the  shelves  in  the  next  room.  Con- 
siderable surprise  was  expressed  over  such  an  array 
of  printed  matter. 

The  next  box  contained  the  provisions.  They 
were  quite  willing  that  I  should  remove  the  lid. 
They  were  then  passed  down  into  the  store-room, 
where  a  special  committee  deposited  them  in  the 


52  LET  TERS  FROM  J  A  PA  N. 

closets.  Each  article  excited  considerable  com- 
ment. The  tin-can,  and  bottled  fruits  were  riddled 
with  criticisms.  But  the  base-ball  and  the  dumb- 
bells created  the  most  interest.  They  failed  to  see 
any  fun  in  catching  so  hard  a  ball. 

And  so  the  morning  was  passed.  Everything 
was  duly  arranged.  At  dinner  time  the  kind- 
hearted  assistants  retired  with  sufficient  material 
for  six  weeks*  conversation.  For  you  must  under- 
stand that  these  natives  are  essential  gossips. 
Their  language  is  eminently  fitted  for  this  species 
of  recreation.  Off  in  the  interior,  where  social 
stagnation  prevails,  an  unusual  event  is  something 
to  be  treasured  up  and  handed  down,  and  the 
coming  of  a  foreigner  forms  an  epoch  in  the  history 
of  a  place.  It  will  long  be  remembered  how  pom- 
pously he  came  into  town  ;  how  his  fierce  dogs  drove 
the  native  curs  beyond  the  village;  how  it  took 
three  pack-horses  to  carry  his  provisions  and  bag- 
gage ;  how  he  had  to  stoop  in  entering  the  hotel ; 
how  shaggy  his  beard  was  ;  how  he  drank  immense 
quantities  of  beer ;  how  he  used  a  murderous  word 
that  his  boy  and  groom  had  also  learned  to  speak  ; 
and  how  strange  it  was  that  so  majestic  an  individ- 
ual should  condescend  to  fool  with  the  insignifi- 
cant waiter  girls  at  the  hotels.  While  the  natives 
are  by  no  means  saints,  it  is  a  great  pity  that  they 
should  be  spoiled  by  the  coarse  specimens  of  for- 
eigners that  go  swaggering  through  the  country 
creating  the  impression  that  all  of  them  are  a  set 
of  licentious  beasts. 


JIIROSAKI.  53 

And  now,  before  closing  this  rambling  letter,  I 
must  tell  you  a  little  about  Hirosaki. 

As  I  said  in  the  beginning  of  my  letter,  the  great 
feature  of  this  valley  is  the  lovely  cone  of  Iwaki- 
san.  Whether  seen  in  the  rosy  dawn,  or  at  mid- 
day, or  in  the  twilight,  or  when  swathed  in  clouds, 
it  is  always  lovely.  The  people  love  to  watch  the 
sunset  bathing  its  stately  form,  resting  against  the 
deep  hues  of  the  evening  sky,  as  they  sip  their  tea 
in  their  gardens  after  the  labors  of  the  day.  It  is 
the  lord  of  the  valley.  From  its  summit  you  can 
gaze  beyond  the  straits  as  far  as  the  dim  outlines 
of  Yesso. 

Concerning  the  origin  of  the  mountain,  the 
legends  say  that  ages  ago  an  old  woman  saw  it 
rising  up  in  the  night,  and  in  great  trepidation  re- 
ported the  affair  to  her  astonished  neighbors.  This 
same  story  is  told  about  Fujisan  and  several  other 
noted  peaks.  In  fact,  an  old  lady  meandering  around 
promiscuously  at  unseasonable  hours,  seems  to  have 
been  considered  a  necessary  witness  to  the  produc- 
tion of  one  of  these  volcanic  cones.  A  goddess  is 
enshrined  beside  the  crater.  From  all  accounts, 
she  appears  to  possess  considerable  characteristic 
capriciousness ;  for  she  expects  annual  visits  from 
all  the  men  in  the  surrounding  country,  but  forbids 
delegations  of  her  own  sex  to  appear  at  the  chilly 
crests,  under  penalty  of  being  whisked  off  into  the 
limitless  realms  of  air  should  they  dare  to  disobey 
her  exacting  mandates.  Whether  the  ancient  priests 
invented  this  myth  as  an  excuse  to  save  the  ladies 


54  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

a  fatiguing  climb  up  the  misty  heights,  or  whether 
her  divine  ladyship  bears  a  sweeping  grudge  against 
the  old  crone  that  witnessed  her  ddbut,  will  forever 
be  fertile  subjects  of  conjecture  to  knights  of  the 
quill  who  delight  in  speculation  and  classical  de- 
scription. Many  thousand  votaries  worship  at  this 
shrine  every  year.  They  come  from  villages  a 
hundred  miles  away.  The  vast  majority  are  farmers, 
who  organize  themselves  into  companies  while  the 
crops  are  ripening,  and,  arming  themselves  with 
gongs  and  drums,  flock  toward  the  cone  from  all 
directions.  During  tlie  cool  hours  of  the  autumnal 
nights  you  will  be  kept  awake  by  the  crash  of  the 
drums  and  the  din  of  the  chanting  as  the  immense 
crowds  of  pilgrims  stream  through  the  city. 

The  great  architectural  feature  of  Hirosaki  is  the 
castle  which  environs  the  bluffs  in  the  center  of 
the  city.  Its  foundation  was  laid  some  three  cent- 
uries ago,  when  the  present  style  of  building  came 
into  vogue.  The  Daimio  was  the  most  powerful 
in  northern  Nippon.  His  eastern  neighbor  was 
Nambu,  with  whom  he  was  upon  very  good  terms. 
His  southern  neighbor  was  Akitah,  with  which 
lord  a  bitter  feud  existed,  leading  to  many  a  wild 
foray  across  the  rugged  borders.  The  entire  sur- 
face of  Awomori  Province,  as  well  as  that  of  all  the 
provinces  that  stretch  northward  from  Kinka-san 
(a  bold  promontory  half-way  up  the  coast)  is 
grandly  mountainous.  And,  like  all  the  provinces 
that  face  the  Japan  Sea,  it  has  an  immense  snow- 
fall during  the  winter. 


HIROSAKI.    '  55 

Judging  from  the  appearance  of  the  people  of 
these  northern  provinces,  you  would  not  infer  that 
a  double  tide  of  immigration  had  swept  over  the 
country.  First,  at  least  twenty-five  centuries  ago, 
came  the  aboriginal  Ainos  from  Siberia,  Saghalien, 
and  Yesso.  They  spread  southward  over  the  Japan 
Islands  and  were  met  by  an  opposing  tide  of  Ma- 
lays (vide  Asiatic  Reports)  that  had  drifted  up  on 
the  Kuro-siwo  from  the  archipelago  beneath  the 
tropics.  The  Ainos  were  no  match  for  their  hot- 
blooded  competitors.  And,  after  centuries  of  strife, 
they  were  pressed  northward  by  the  overcrowding 
population  of  the  south ;  and  were  finally  expelled 
from  Nippon  and  banished  to  the  cheerless  wilds 
of  Yesso,  whither  their  unrelenting  enemies  desired 
not  to  follow. 

The  early  history  of  Hirosaki  and  these  northern 
provinces  is  composed  mostly  of  feudatory  skir- 
mishing which  can  hardly  be  designated  war.  The 
country  was  broken  up  into  a  series  of  petty  chief- 
tainships. Instead  of  a  Daimio  for  a  large  province, 
we  find  innumerable  petty  leaders  of  a  few  vil- 
lagers who  lived  in  little  moated  enclosures.  This 
epoch  was  one  of  perpetual  frays. 

About  the  fifteenth  century,  however,  some  am- 
bitious master-spirit  arose.  Subduing  the  petty 
lords  and  compelling  them  to  be  his  vassals,  he 
selected  the  present  site  of  Hirosaki  for  his  head- 
quarters, and  founded  an  enduring  castle,  leaving 
the  primitive  strongholds  to  become  obscured  by 
tillage  until  their  original  lines  of  demarcation  had 


56  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

become  obliterated  by  herbage.  Houses  sprang 
up  all  around  the  castle,  and  we  have  the  pres- 
ent city.  Excepting  the  castle,  it  presents  but  few 
points  of  interest  to  the  foreigner. 

As  I  intend  giving  a  full  account   of  Japanese 
castles  in  a  future  letter,  I  will  put  my  period  here. 
Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


OLD-STYLE    WAKKIORS. 


LETTER   V. 
A  GLIMPSE   OF  OLD   FEUDAL  TIMES   IN  JAPAN. 

HiROSAKi,  July  lo,  1874. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

About  the  only  thing  here  that  reminds  me  of 
civilization  is  the  castle.  There  is  something  very 
inspiring  in  the  lively  notes  of  the  bugle  that  make 
the  entire  place  vocal  in  ♦^he  morning,  at  noon,  and 
at  sundown.  It  contains  a  garrison  of  about  a 
thousand  men.  They  are  dressed  in  blue  uniform 
trimmed  with  yellow,  and  are  armed  with  Snyder 
and  Sharpe  rifles.  These  soldiers  come  from  all 
the  provinces ;  for  the  government  will  not  allow 
the  regiments  to  be  composed  of  men  coming  from 
one  clan  lest  it  tend  to  promote  sedition.  They 
are  small  men,  but  are  very  plucky  and  hardy. 
They  are  kept  under  excellent  discipline,  giving  im- 
plicit obedience  to  their  officers,  and  are  very  quiet 
and  orderly.  It  is  a  rare  thing  to  find  one  of  them 
drunk.  When  they  do  get  drunk,  however,  they 
become  childish  rather  than  pugnacious. 

About  once  a  week  the  garrison  will  turn  out  in 
force  for  a  march  into  the  country.  They  file 
through  the  streets  with  great  regularity  and  are 


58  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

treated  with  great  respect  by  the  townsfolk,  al- 
though many  of  them  are  from  hostile  clans.  The 
government  keeps  a  standing  army  of  about  thirty- 
five  thousand  men.  The  mass  of  these  are  in  can- 
tonments at  Tokio.  But  the  others  are  occupying 
the  many  castles  throughout  the  empire. 

I  was  quite  desirous  of  seeing  the  inside  of  the 
Hirosaki  Castle,  as  it  was  in  an  excellent  state  of 
preservation.  I  therefore  made  a  formal  request 
through  the  school  authorities.  They  were,  for  a 
while,  in  quite  a  dilemma,  for  no  white  person  had 
ever  been  beyond  the  second  moat,  and  they  much 
dreaded  a  refusal.  But  it  happened  that  one  of  the 
scholars  had  a  brother  who  was  an  officer  in  the 
regiment,  and  through  his  kindness,  permission  was 
granted  to  visit  it  one  Sunday  afternoon,  as  on  that 
day  all  the  officers  were  at  leisure.  So,  on  the  ap- 
pointed day,  the  whole  school  put  on  their  best 
clothes  and  escorted  me  through  the  spacious 
grounds.  The  afternoon  was  very  genial,  the  of- 
ficers were  exceedingly  courteous,  no  restrictions 
were  placed  upon  our  inspection,  and  we  had  a  most 
delightful  time  indeed. 

Japanese  castles  are  singular  structures.  They 
are  all  built  upon  the  same  general  plan.  Through- 
out the  empire  there  are  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  of  them,  varying  in  size  and  antiquity.  The 
origin  of  this  style  of  building  feudal  strongholds 
has  been  ascribed  to  Yamamoto,  a  Daimio  of  the 
thirteenth  century.  Other  authorities  date  their 
rise  some  four  centuries  before  this,  holding  that 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    59 

the  first  one  was  built  in  Shikoku,  the  large  island 
just  south  of  Nippon. 

The  term  "  castle  "  is  misleading.  For,  unlike 
the  flinty  masses  of  masonry  of  Europe  that  delight 
to  perch  themselves  upon  lofty  cliffs,  these  strong- 
holds rarely  present  high  walls  to  the  sight,  and  are 
generally  built  upon  undulating  or  level  ground. 
The  ideal  plan  is  to  arrange  the  moats  and  embank- 
ments so  that  a  moderately  rugged  hill  shall  be  near 
the  center,  thus  serving  to  increase  the  strength  of 
the  Tenshiu,  or  citadel.  As  a  rule,  you  will  find  a 
triple  system  of  circumvallation,  one  inside  the 
other ;  the  outermost  one  being  from  two  to  four 
miles  in  circumference,  while  the  inmost  one  is  re- 
duced to  a  massive  enclosure  of  a  few  hundred 
yards.  The  largest  castle  in  Japan  is  at  Tokio. 
The  perimeter  of  its  outlying  line  of  circumvalla- 
tion exceeds  ten  miles, — in  fact,  a  part  of  the  me- 
tropolis is  built  between  the  first  and  second  sys- 
tems. The  next  one  in  size  is  said  to  be  at  Shid- 
zuoka,  about  one  hundred  miles  south-west  of  Tokio, 
but  it  is  not  half  so  large  as  the  one  in  the  metrop- 
olis. 

Scattered  through  the  different  islands  of  the 
empire,  these  mediaeval  relics,  more  durable  than 
the  institutions  they  represented,  still  greet  the  eye 
of  the  inquisitive  traveler  as  he  journeys  through 
the  provinces. 

Imagine  yourself  standing  beside  the  one  in 
Hirosaki.  This  first  system,  here  before  us,  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  wide  moat  that   is  walled  in  with 


6o  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

roughly  hewn  blocks  of  granite.  On  the  opposite 
side,  at  a  slight  angle  from  the  water,  rises  a  thick 
swarded  embankment  to  the  height  of  about  twelve 
feet.  The  top  of  this  is  defended  by  a  strong  picket 
fence  and  plastered  wall,  and  a  row  of  pine  trees 
just  behind  not  only  beautifies  the  place,  but  fur- 
nishes additional  protection  to  the  defenders  of  the 
rampart.  This  moat  and  rampart  sweep  around 
about  two  miles,  passing  over  an  occasional  bluff. 
In  the  castle  at  Tokio,  the  moat  of  the  outer  system 
has  been  carried  through  the  foundations  of  several 
hills,  necessitating  several  enormous  cuttings  at  an 
immense  outlay  of  labor. 

We  now  cross  the  moat  by  means  of  this  fragile 
bridge,  which  has  been  purposely  so  constructed  in 
order  that  it  may  be  quickly  demolished  upon 
emergencies.  For  you  must  bear  in  mind  that 
the  famous  drawbridges  which  spanned  the  chilly 
chasms  of  the  Norman  fortresses  are  not  to  be 
found  in  Japan. 

At  the  other  end  stands  a  double-storied  tower 
with  heavy  wooden  gates  covered  with  iron  plates. 
The  strongly  barred  windows  of  the  upper  story  are 
well  arranged  for  a  free  play  of  arrows  upon  assault- 
ing ranks  beneath.  From  the  gable  ends  of  the  heav- 
ily tiled  roof  bronze  fishes  are  gayly  curveting  in  the 
air ;  while  from  the  corners,  weird  dragons  appear 
to  be  ready  for  a  spring  upon  the  advancing  foe. 
The  brilliant  white  plastering  with  which  the  tower 
has  been  finished  off  presents  a  pleasing  contrast  to 
the  dull  gray  stones  of  the  rampart  and  the  waters 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    6 1 

of  the  moat.  Seen  at  a  distance  peeping  through 
the  cordon  of  watchful  pines,  its  appearance  is  gro- 
tesque in  the  extreme. 

We  now  enter  the  first  inclosure.  It  covers  many 
acres  of  ground.  A  long  avenue  of  pine  trees  leads 
down  to  the  second  moat.  The  entire  place  is 
neatly  swarded.  It  contains  lines  of  barracks  for 
the  retainers  of  the  prince.  In  the  old  days  you 
would  have  found  them  here  practicing  fencing  and 
other  warlike  diversions.  This  inclosure  was  used 
as  a  kind  of  promenade  for  the  inmates  of  the  cas- 
tle. Here  we  also  find  the  parade  ground,  the  or- 
chards, the  wells,  and  the  shady  vistas  twisting 
through  the  camelia  and  box-wood  shrubbery. 

The  second  moat  is  deeper  and  broader  than  the 
first  one.  The  towers  are  more  massive,  and  are 
placed  at  shorter  intervals  along  the  rampart.  Pass- 
ing over  another  bridge,  we  enter  the  second  system. 
The  grounds  are  about  one-tenth  as  extensive  as 
those  just  viewed.  But  they  are  far  more  rugged. 
It  is  a  kind  of  fortified  park.  The  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  place  is  that  of  a  pretty  garden 
filled  with  neat  paths  winding  around  through  the 
bamboo  groves.  Near  the  gateway  are  some  tea 
booths,  wherein  visitors  paying  their  respects  to  my 
lord,  the  Daimio,  would  tarry  awhile  chatting  with 
the  retainers  until  his  Grace  should  be  pleased  to 
receive  them. 

Following  this  path  down  the  hill,  we  come  to  a 
long  fire-proof  **  go-down  "  serving  as  an  arsenal  for 
the  storing  of  semi-barbaric  implements  of  warfare. 


62  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Off  to  the  right,  through  that  vista  of  fragrant 
olea,  you  will  find  the  shooting  range.  At  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  we  find  a  fish  pond.  In  the  autumn, 
the  wild  ducks  from  Yesso  delight  to  sport  here  for 
a  brief  period  amid  the  lotus  plants  and  water  lilies 
that  line  the  margin. 

This  second  inclosurewas  the  private  promenade 
of  the  prince  and  a  few  select  retainers. 

We  now  come  to  the  third  and  last  system  of 
circumvallation.  Here  we  find  the  citadel.  The 
towers  and  ramparts  arc  exceedingly  massive.  The 
hilly  nature  of  the  ground  has  been  skillfully  made 
to  contribute  to  the  strength  of  the  place.  The 
precipitous  sides  of  the  ravine  seem  to  be  but  a 
continuation  of  the  stony  battlements  above.  But 
one  gateway  leads  within  this  last  system. 

Entering,  we  see  the  palace.  The  garden  sur- 
rounding it  has  been  laid  out  with  the  best  native 
skill.  Ponds  for  gold-fishes,  shaded  walks,  and  arti- 
ficial mounds  representing  Fujisan,  are  scattered 
around  in  pleasing  variety.  The  palace  itself  is 
apt  to  disappoint  you  after  having  been  led  through 
all  the  external  display.  It  is  simply  a  very  large 
and  extensive  Japanese  house,  having  an  immensely 
heavy  roof  covered  with  sheets  of  bronze.  A 
superb  veranda  completely  environs  it.  Everything 
is  built  of  wood.  The  interior,  however,  is  more 
interesting.  There  is  but  one  stor>'.  All  the  rooms 
are  extremely  high  and  airy.  They  are  separated 
from  each  other  by  exquisitely  ornamented  shojees  * 

*  The  word  shojec,  like  the  word  tatami,  cannot  be  rendered  prop- 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    63 

(sliding  doors  made  of  paper)  set  in  elegantly  lac- 
quered frames.  Upon  the  panels  you  see  beauti- 
fully executed  designs  from  nature, — mountain, 
field,  and  flood  being  presented  by  the  best  native 
skill.  The  floors  are  covered  with  the  finest  tatamis, 
A  few  lovely  screens  and  some  superb  pieces  of 
bronze  and  lacquerware  will  complete  the  furnish- 
ing of  the  apartments,  for  you  must  bear  in  mind 
that  the  Japanese  are  utterly  deficient  as  regards 
upholstery.  The  ceilings  of  the  rooms  are  usually 
finished  off  with  square  panels  representing  dragons 
and  fairies  upon  gilded  backgrounds.  In  the  cham- 
bers of  Nobunaga's  palace  in  Owari  the  panels  are 
.said  to  have  been  originally  inlaid  with  plates  of 
pure  gold. 

As  was  before  hinted  these  palaces  cover  a  vast 
amount  of  ground.  The  visitor  is  led  through  suite 
after  suite  until  he  becomes  bewildered  at  the  ap- 
parently never  ending  maze  of  elaborate  apart- 
ments. 

As  a  rule,  the  finest  room  is  the  audience  cham- 
ber. Here  the  combined  skill  of  many  artists  con- 
spire to  overwhelm  the  mind  of  the  stranger  with 
the  wealth,  the  power,  and  the  generosity  of  his 
Highness.  Royal  tigers  are  crouching  upon  the 
gilded  panels.     Here  we  see  two  of  the  ferocious 

erly  into  English.  It  will  therefore  be  frequently  used  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages.  It  is  a  kind  of  sliding  door  set  in  grooves.  They 
form  the  walls  and  partitions  of  Japanese  domiciles.  Upon  a  fragile 
sashing  of  wood,  delicate  tissue  paper  is  pasted  ;  this  is  then  set  in 
a  light  frame,  frequently  lacquered,  adapted  to  grooves  in  the  floor. 


64  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAISr. 

beasts  engaged  in  fierce  combat.  There  we  have 
the  phoenix  and  the  peacock  perching  upon  gor- 
geous sprays  of  a  species  of  plant  that  never  existed 
outside  of  the  artist's  brain.  While  down  at  the 
far  end  of  the  room  is  a  scene  from  Chinese  history 
that  occupies  the  entire  side  of  the  apartment. 

Great  ingenuity  has  been  displayed  in  the  endless 
variety  of  the  designs.  No  two  are  precisely 
similar.  Here  we  have  the  lotus  plant  growing  in 
an  elaborate  jar.  There  we  see  it  blossoming  beside 
the  sedges  in  the  moat.  There  it  unfolds  its  gor- 
geous petals  beside  the  mountain  streams  that  flow 
through  the  shaded  grounds  of  that  monastery. 
And  yet  again  wc  catch  its  impassioned  gleam  beside 
the  lilies  in  the  Imperial  ponds.  Very  few  of  the 
historic  scenes  relate  to  Japan.  China  is  the  classic 
source  of  inspiration. 

For  elegance  and  beauty,  the  palaces  of  Kioto, 
Owari,  and  Yeddo  ranked  among  the  highest.  As 
there  is  a  similarity  between  the  castles  in  Japan, 
so  the  palaces  furnish  but  little  in  the  line  of  start- 
ling variety. 

Since  the  Imperial  Revolution  of  1 868-1 870,  all 
these  provincial  strongholds  have  been  turned  over 
to  the  central  government.  All  the  former  pro- 
prietors have  been  sent  to  Tokio  to  be  kept  under 
Imperial  surveillance.  Many  of  the  castles  have 
been  allowed  to  fall  into  decay.  Some  of  the 
choicest,  however,  are  kept  in  a  fair  state  of  repair, 
and  are  open  to  the  inspection  of  tourists  from 
abroad.     But  the  majority  have  been  turned  into 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    65 

quarters  for  garrisons,  and  all  the  ancient  parapher- 
nalia and  ornamentation  have  about  disappeared. 
Many  of  the  bronzes,  and  most  of  the  elegant  lac- 
quering, now  adorn  the  homes  of  the  wealthy  in 
Europe  and  America. 

You  will  find  long  rows  of  roughly-made  bed- 
steads arranged  up  and  down  the  spacious  chambers. 
Muskets  are  stacked  in  the  audience  hall.  Knap- 
sacks and  heavy  riding  boots  are  strewn  around 
promiscuously  to  be  kicked  under  an  adjoining  bed 
by  some  passing  foot.  The  shojccs  and  tatamis  have 
been  removed,  and  but  little  remains  to  remind  one 
of  the  former  condition  of  things,  save  the  few  rooms 
appropriated  by  the  officers. 

And  now  I  hear  you  inquiring  about  the  parties 
that  lived  within  these  walls.  How  did  they  spend 
their  time  ?  What  was  the  social  life  of  the  in- 
mates? How  was  administrative  power  wielded? 
In  short,  give  a  glimpse  of  old  feudal  times  in 
Japan. 

Let  us  begin,  then,  with  my  lord,  the  Daimio, 
inasmuch  as  he  was  the  theoretical  sovereign  unit. 
In  him  were  centered  the  executive,  the  legislative, 
and  the  judicial  power.  These  functions  were  then 
delegated  to  favored  retainers,  who  relieved  their 
lord  of  the  drudgery  usually  connected  with  those 
departments. 

In  discussing  the  Daimio,  we  will  suppose  him  to 
be  a  person  of  fair  ability  and  energy.  He  has 
under  him  some  ten  or  twenty  thousand  samurai 
(feudal  retainers)  scattered  through  the  Daimiate. 


66  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Of  these  some  five  thousand  live  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  castle,  taking  turns  in  doing  garrison 
duty  and  in  guarding  their  liege  lord. 

From  these  again  are  selected  the  most  promis- 
ing as  personal  attendants.  Under  the  old  regime 
it  was  the  ambition  of  every  samurai  to  be  so 
chosen.  For  if  an  obscure  retainer  could  win  the 
notice  and  favor  of  his  master  by  pleasing  manners 
and  bearing,  he  could  flatter  himself  with  the  pros- 
pect of  holding  the  most  honored  positions  so  long 
as  the  favor  lasted.  In  some  cases,  powerful  fami- 
lies would  hold  the  princely  favor  for  generations 
to  the  exclusion  of  others,  thus  causing  bitter  jeal- 
ousies, and,  too  frequently,  cruel  assassinations. 
This  favor  was  usually  secured  and  retained  by  an 
amount  of  obsequiousness  quite  repulsive  to  our 
natures. 

Now  let  us  follow  his  lordship  through  a  day's 
work.  After  breakfast  (composed  of  rice  accom- 
panied with  delicate  morsels  of  fish,  rice-beer,  and 
choice  bits  of  vegetables,  served  up  and  eaten  on 
the  tatainis),  a  delegation  of  samurai  will  wait  upon 
his  Grace  with  a  few  items  of  provincial  business 
which  are  presented  for  approval  or  discussion. 
Perhaps  it  is  a  memorial  from  some  farmers  peti- 
tioning for  lower  taxes  as  the  rice  crops  have  been  a 
failure.  Or  perhaps  it  is  a  minute  description  of 
some  foreign  articles  in  an  adjoining  province.  Or, 
possibly,  it  may  be  an  account  of  another  intrusion 
of  one  of  those  restless  barbarian  ships  upon  the 
coast.     Or,  it  may  be   the  disorderly  conduct  of 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    67 

some  samurai,  coupled  with  the  suggestion  that  he 
be  confined  to  his  house  for  a  few  days  as  punish- 
ment. 

After  this,  a  well-informed  gentleman  comes  in 
to  instruct  his  Lordship  by  edifying  conversation 
upon  a  variety  of  topics.  The  manners,  literature, 
and  history  of  the  Chinese  will  usually  form  the 
main  topic  of  conversation.  The  duration  of  this 
private  tutoring  will  entirely  depend  upon  the  tem- 
perament and  mental  caliber  of  the  prince. 

In  the  afternoon,  a  stroll  down  to  the  shooting 
range  will  be  in  order.  When  the  long-bows  and 
match-locks  have  been  sufficiently  tested,  some  time 
will  be  devoted  to  fencing  with  bamboo  foils.  After 
which,  a  half  hour  or  so  of  horseback  riding  up  and 
down  the  avenues  will  be  in  order. 

About  two  or  three  times  per  month  he  goes 
forth  from  the  castle  to  hunt  with  his  falcons  in  the 
country.  Occasionally  he  tackles  larger  game  and 
brings  down  a  boar  or  a  stag  with  arrow  or  spear. 
Some  of  these  excursions  form  famous  themes  for 
artists.  In  some  of  the  drawings,  my  lord  is  repre- 
sented leaping  his  horse  over  a  chasm  and  chasing 
a  monstrous  boar  that  rivals  his  steed  in  dimen- 
sions, while  his  speechless  retainers  stand  gaping  in 
hopeless  bewilderment  on  the  further  edge,  quite 
unable  to  follow  the  mad  career  of  their  valorous 
master. 

During  the  hot  summer  months  when  the  exhala- 
tions from  the  moat  render  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  tenshiu  unhealthy,  he  will  journey  off  to  his 


68  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

mountain  villa,  where  he  can  spend  a  month  or  two 
in  composing  Chinese  poetry  in  honor  of  the  moon 
or  his  favorite  concubine.  For  you  must  bear  in 
mind  that  poetizing  in  this  country  is  not  a  mon- 
opoly, but  a  mere  mechanical  process  that  can  be 
learned  by  almost  any  one  who  desires  to  become 
expert  in  grinding  out  the  requisite  metered  verses. 
Some  of  this  princely  rhythmic  agony,  by  the  way, 
enjoys  considerable  reputation.  The  sentiment, 
however,  is  never  remarkably  overwhelming  in  its 
effects.  If  our  prince  be  public  spirited,  he  will 
make  an  occasional  journey  through  his  Daimiate 
to  see  that  all  is  going  well.  But  the  great  event 
of  the  year  will  be  his  visit  to  Yeddo.  The  discus- 
sion of  ways  and  means  will  occupy  several  weeks, 
and,  as  many  months  will  elapse  before  his  return, 
arrangements  must  be  made  for  guarding  the  castle 
and  keeping  things  in  order. 

Theoretically,  the  Daimios  were  supposed  to  ex- 
change provinces  annually  in  accordance  with  the 
laws  of  lyeyaSj  the  feudal  law-giver  of  Japan.  And  in 
the  early  days  of  the  ShogunatCy  this  regulation  was 
undoubtedly  enforced.  But  the  rule  became  prac- 
tically a  dead  letter  as  regards  the  northern  and 
south-western  provinces ;  although  the  right  to 
carry  out  the  statute  was  never  relinquished  by  the 
house  of  Tokugawa. 

So  long  as  a  province  sent  in  its  regular  tribute 
of  rice,  and  disturbed  not  the  peace  of  the  general 
government  by  hatching  conspiracies,  it  might 
retain  its  prince  for  many  generations, — provided 


.1..., 


>    '      »  ,  > 


{Sativt  PItotograph.') 


•  i. 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    69 

he  paid  his  regular  visit  to  Yeddo  to  do  homage  to 
the  Great  Lord  of  Nippon. 

But  I  have  been  depicting  to  you  an  ideal  Daimio. 
Your  average  lord,  it  grieves  me  to  say,  differed 
very  much  from  this  model.  Instead  of  harkening 
daily  to  the  edifying  conversation  of  some  learned 
samurai,  he  wasted  his  hours  in  frivolous  sports 
and  childish  chit-chat  with  his  concubines.  He 
loved  wine  to  excess,  and  was  frequently  as  "  boozy  " 
as  typical  members  of  nobility  are  wont  to  be.  So 
far  from  practicing  his  body  with  daily  manly  exer- 
cise, he  resorts  to  the  ingenious  expedient  of  hav- 
ing two  or  three  horse-boys  wind  his  nags,  and  two 
or  three  coolies  might  strain  their  backs  over  the 
bows  and  arrows  while  he  complacently  watches 
their  gyrations.  As  to  practicing  fencing,  he 
merely  desires  half  a  dozen  retainers  to  bang  each 
other's  heads  with  the  heavy  foils  until  he  has 
thoroughly  imbibed  the  intricacies  of  this  highly 
scientific  art.  As  to  listening  to  the  long-winded 
disquisitions  of  aldermanic  Yakunins  and  official 
samurai  upon  the  administration  of  provincial 
affairs,  they  might  smoke  their  pipes  over  the  he- 
bachiSf  ad  libitum^  and  adopt  any  measure  they 
might  see  fit,  so  long  as  they  did  not  compromise 
his  pleasures  and  revenues,  and  falconry  and  hunt- 
ing might  go  to  the  winds.  And  as  to  jumping 
chasms  after  wild  boars,  —  the  —  the — well,  the 
horse-boys  can  do  that  also. 

About  three  or  four  times  a  season  he  will  exert 
himself  sufficiently  to  visit  some  hot  mineral  spriogs 


JO  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

in  the  mountains  to  soak  out  the  licentious  impuri- 
ties of  a  past  winter.  Occasionally  he  will  rouse 
his  languid  curiosity  enough  to  examine  some  su- 
perb pieces  of  lacquer-ware  or  bronze,  upon  which 
he  has  squandered  half  the  revenues  of  his  province, 
perhaps.  Should  he  wish  to  see  some  famous  court- 
dancers,  wrestlers,  or  any  other  performances  of  a 
curious  nature,  several  days  will  be  spent  before  the 
preliminaries,  the  preparation  of  the  grounds,  and 
the  exhibition  can  be  consummated.  For  it  would 
be  the  height  of  vulgarity  for  his  Grace  to  visit  a 
house  of  public  resort.  He  must  inspect  anything 
odd  and  novel  through  endless  formalities.  In 
short,  he  was  a  perfect  slave  to  etiquette.  And, 
unless  he  was  a  person  of  more  than  average  reso- 
lution, he  would  inevitably  sink  into  a  state  of  utter 
and  hopeless  imbecility, — a  condition,  in  fact,  that 
was  rather  encouraged  by  the  ambitious  head  men 
of  the  clan  who  desired  to  administer  affairs  to  suit 
themselves  without  any  interference  from  the  prime 
power.  It  was  a  kind  of  oligarchy.  The  Daimio 
was  a  kind  of  social  figure-head.  He  was  to  be 
petted  and  humored.  He  was  never  to  have  the 
placidity  of  his  temper  ruffled  by  any  crossing ;  he 
was  to  be  treated  with  the  most  deferential  obse- 
quiousness ;  to  symbolize  limitless  power,  though 
possessing  little  of  the  essence.  In  short,  he  was 
to  be  kept  in  a  state  of  perfect  animal  good  nature, 
and  to  have  his  ambition  and  energy  dissipated  by 
abundance  of  license,  so  that  his  consent  to  all  legal 
proceedings  might  the  more  easily  be  obtained. 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    7 1 

The  truth  is,  that  about  Perry's  time,  political 
affairs  in  Japan  had  become  thoroughly  run  down. 
The  samurai  were  rapidly  degenerating  into  a  herd 
of  voluptuous  imbeciles.  Feudal  customs  had  be- 
come completely  worn  out.  The  country  was  well 
prepared  for  a  change.  I  have  frequently  been  in- 
formed by  Japanese  that  the  patriotic  portion  of 
Japan  had  already  become  disgusted  at  the  fright- 
ful corruption  of  their  country,  and  were  solicitous 
for  speedy  reformation.  And  it  was  this  under- 
current of  liberalism  that  forced  the  conservative 
element  to  open  the  country  to  foreign  intercourse. 
This  accounts  for  the  marvelous  reaction  against 
all  ancient  political  institutions  that  has  so  aston- 
ished us  Western  people.  For  you  must  remember 
that  the  Japanese  still  cling  to  most  of  their  social 
institutions;  and  they  will  continue  to  do  so  for 
generations. 

Now  as  to  your  next  question,  concerning  ad- 
ministrative regulations  in  old  times,  it  will  be 
rather  difficult  to  convey  a  very  definite  idea.  The 
first  course  served  up  in  a  French  revolution  is  a 
new  constitution.  But  this  country  has  never  been 
blessed  with  this  modern  invention,  as  it  has  been 
characterized.  The  legacy  of  lyeyas,  which  in 
many  respects  was  a  dead  letter,  consisted  mostly 
of  directions  for  regulating  the  succession  of  the 
Tokugawa  house,  and  of  a  few  general  admonitions 
for  the  management  of  public  affairs.  Theoreti- 
cally, the  Shogun  (Tycoon,  we  call  him),  was  the 
prime  minister  of  the  invisible  emperor  (Mikado, 


72  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

we  call  him),  at  Kioto,  to  whom  he  did  homage  for 
perpetual  lease  of  unlimited  royal  power.  And  he, 
in  turn,  exacted  homage  from  the  Daimios  for  an- 
nual lease  of  provincial  power  revocable  at  pleasure. 
He  stood  as  a  sort  of  go-between  betwixt  the 
phenix  car  and  the  Daimios.  The  emperor  must 
not  be  contaminated  by  vulgar  bickerings  with  the 
masses.  That  piece  of  drudgery  must  be  performed 
by  his  head  servant,  the  Shogun.  It  was  his  duty 
to  keep  peace  within  the  realm  in  the  name  of  his 
master.  He  must  govern  the  people.  He  must 
furnish  his  Imperial  Majesty  with  proper  guards, 
and  appoint  proper  officers  to  see  that  the  revenues 
of  the  Province  of  Yamashiro  were  duly  devoted  to 
keeping  up  the  simplicity  of  the  imperial  court. 

While  the  Shogun  was  thus  supposed  to  be  busy- 
ing himself  with  the  secular  affairs  of  the  realm  at 
Yeddo,  the  inmates  of  the  Gosho  in  Kioto  were 
supposed  to  be  wrapped  in  the  sublimest  indiffer- 
ence to  administrative  affairs,  being  in  a  kind  of 
imperial  Nirvana,  if  you  please.  They  would,  how- 
ever, occasionally  notice  the  petitions  of  their  head 
servant  for  some  title  or  rank  to  be  conferred  on 
some  worthy  subject.     Such  w^as  the  theory. 

Practically,  however,  the  emperor  was  kept  under 
a  polite  but  most  unrelenting  surveillance.  A  bare 
pittance  wherewith  to  keep  up  a  skeleton  court 
within  a  few  acres  of  enclosed  ground  was  doled 
forth  to  him  at  tardy  intervals  by  the  officers.  He 
was  respectfully  but  strictly  guarded  by  Aidzu,  the 
most  zealous   Tokugawa   clan.     And  the  Shogun 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    73 

bothered  himself  so  little  about  his  Imperial  Ma- 
jesty that  he  spent  all  his  time  in  Yeddo,  three 
hundred  and  fifteen  miles  to  the  north-east,  and 
they  are  reported  to  have  paid  their  homage  per- 
sonally to  the  emperor  only  about  once  a  century. 

So  closely  was  the  emperor  confined  that  his 
person  was  never  seen  by  any  one  outside  of  his 
family.  In  fact,  the  position  was  so  void  of  prerog- 
atives, and  possessed  so  few  attractions,  that  it 
became  by  no  means  a  rare  custom  for  an  emperor 
to  resign  his  office,  and,  investing  his  infant  son 
with  the  empty  titles,  retire  to  one  of  the  superb 
monasteries  in  the  mountains  surrounding  Kioto, 
where  he  could  at  least  see  something  of  the  world. 

Thus  it  was  that  the  Tokugawas,  giving  but  nom- 
inal deference  to  the  fountain  of  honors,  grasped 
the  administrative  power,  and  bullied  their  subor- 
dinates to  their  hearts*  content.  Like  all  central- 
ized power,  however,  their  authority  over  the 
Daimiates  gradually  became  dissipated.  Satsuma, 
Chosiu,  and  Tosa,  were  permitted  to  do  pretty 
nearly  what  they  chose.  And  soon  each  prince,  so 
long  as  he  paid  his  regular  homage  and  tribute, 
held  almost  unlimited  sway  over  his  Daimiate. 
Each  one  had  his  palace  in  Yeddo  in  charge  of 
some  near  relative. 

Passing  now  to  the  respective  provinces  we  find 
that  the  administrative  power  was  almost  entirely 
in  the  hands  of  the  samurai  class.  These  are  the 
double-sword ed  gentlemen  that  we  see  so  often 
represented  in  Japanese    pictures.     They  were,  in 


74  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

theory,  bound  body  and  soul  to  the  interests  of 
their  lord.  To  disobey  him  was  the  highest  crime. 
They  were  to  gird  him  round  with  a  living  wall, 
standing  betwixt  him  and  every  danger.  In  return 
for  these  services  he  was  to  distribute  among  them 
annual  pensions  of  so  many  bushels  of  rice  apiece. 
They  never  worked  at  manual  occupations.  Their 
only  business  was  to  attend  on  the  prince.  They 
were  the  aristocrats  of  the  realm.  The  swords  they 
carried  were  typical  of  their  genteel  and  chivalrous 
breeding.  The  sons  of  samurai^  during  their  in- 
fancy, would  carry  wooden  ones.  When  fourteen 
years  old,  at  which  age  they  reached  their  majority, 
they  would  receive  a  pair  of  genuine  ones.  This 
day  was  made  one  of  festivity,  and  all  the  family 
friends  sent  in  their  congratulations.  The  young 
man  was  now  admitted  to  the  counsels  of  his  elders, 
and  was  treated  with  all  becoming  deference.  The 
next  thing  was  to  try  the  temper  of  the  blades. 
And  until  this  was  accomplished  the  youth  was 
nearly  wild.  The  first  hack  would  usually  find  its 
way  into  some  luckless  dog  roaming  about  the  yard. 
The  bodies  of  criminals  also  furnished  much  prac- 
tice. The  executioners  also  tested  the  edges  by 
taking  off  heads.  Should  dogs  and  criminals  be 
scarce,  however,  a  night's  loafing  in  the  dark  streets 
generally  furnished  a  victim.  When  a  samurai 
appeared  on  the  street  he  must  always  wear  his 
swords.  It  would  have  been  a  serious  breach  of 
etiquette  not  to  have  done  so.  The  samurai  were 
haughty  and    brave.      They   cultivated    the  most 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    75 

pleasing  politeness.  They  were  very  sensitive,  and 
very  easy  to  take  offense.  They  would  instantly 
draw  their  swords  upon  any  one  insulting  them. 
But  toward  the  mercantile  people  and  the  peasan- 
try they  were  very  overbearing.  A  peasant  was 
once  slain  on  the  spot  for  splashing  some  mud  upon 
a  samurai.  If  a  peasant  laughed  at  a  samurai  he 
would  be  cut  down  instantly.  The  lower  classes 
always  passed  these  gentlemen  with  averted  faces 
and  downcast  eyes.  If  one  samurai  was  rude  to 
another  one  a  duel  followed.  Therefore,  when  two 
samurai  met  they  tried  to  outdo  each  other  in 
politeness,  so  as  to  avoid  giving  the  least  cause  for 
offense.  I  have  seen  four  of  these  gentlemen  take 
nearly  five  minutes  to  get  out  of  a  door.  Each  one 
wanted  the  other  one  to  step  out  first.  The  exces- 
sive politeness  that  wc  notice  in  the  Japanese  is  the 
product  of  feudal  times.  A  typical  samurai  was 
courteous  toward  his  friends,  haughty  toward  for- 
eigners, vindictive  and  merciless  toward  his  foes, 
hasty  and  furious  in  his  temper,  recklessly  brave  in 
combat ;  sly,  treacherous,  and  cunning  in  politics ; 
easy,  lazy,  and  licentious  in  private  life,  and  a 
prodigal  boon  companion,  socially  considered.  He 
had  no  well-grounded  principles.  He  was  fickle 
and  unreliable.  A  samurai  must  always  avenge  in- 
sult with  blood.  If  he  could  not  assassinate  his 
enemy  he  would  often  slay  himself  by  the  famous 
stomach -cut,  or  hara-kiri,  A  strong-minded 
Daimio  would  have  found  himself  at  the  head  of  a 
dangerous  and  serviceable  body  of  men,  and  would 


76  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

have  been  a  most  arbitrary  dictator.  But,  as  was 
before  intimated,  the  head  families  of  the  clan 
usually  managed  to  absorb  all  favor  and  power,  and 
the  Daimio  became  a  myth,  while  the  pampered 
savmrai  merged  into  a  parasitical  condition  of  will- 
fulness and  indolence,  having  frequent  duels,  and 
rendering  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  castle  de- 
cidedly dangerous  after  nightfall.  Many  a  morning 
has  dawned  upon  the  mangled  remains  of  some  be- 
lated peasant,  whose  body  had  served  admirably  for 
testing  the  temper  of  some  lawless  blades.  Redress 
in  such  cases  was  almost  impossible. 

It  thus  became  a  matter  of  vital  importance  for 
the  head  families  to  keep  possession  of  the  person 
of  the  prince,  so  as  to  give  legality  to  all  proceed- 
ings. As  the  Shogun  guarded  the  emperor,  so 
these  savmrai  guarded  the  Daimio.  And  the  mass- 
ive Tenshiuswerc  quite  as  much  for  preserving  this 
legal  seal  from  sudden  factions  of  rivals  as  from  the 
unexpected  inroads  of  the  enemy. 

The  legislative  and  judicial  departments,  as  we 
understand  the  terms,  can  not  be  said  to  have  ex- 
isted in  the  Japanese  feudal  system.  There  was 
no  legislative  body  at  all.  The  law  of  the  land  was 
the  will  of  the  prince  modified  by  the  influence  of 
his  chief  retainers.  Like  most  semi-civilized  so- 
cieties, the  common  law  was  very  simple  ;  and  was 
not  enshrined  in  elaborate  treatises  and  reports,  like 
our  voluminous  system,  that  requires  years  of  per- 
sistent application  to  fully  grasp.  The  principles 
of  the  feudal  code  were  decidedly  primitive.     In 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    J  J 

the  first  place,  whatever  conflicted  with  the  prince's 
will  must  be  wrong,  and  was  not  to  be  tolerated. 
In  the  second  place,  there  must  not  be  the  slightest 
manifestation  of  disobedience  from  subordinates, 
for  this  would  be  the  grossest  of  misdemeanors. 
In  the  third  place,  existing  customs,  when  not  con- 
flicting with  the  above,  were  to  be  duly  respected 
and  adopted  as  the  common  standard  of  adjudica- 
tion. Finally,  the  opinion  of  the  presiding  Yaku- 
nin,  or  magistrate,  must  be  decisive  in  all  cases  left 
to  judicial  discretion.  And  from  his  decision  an 
appeal  was  practically  impossible. 

In  this  primitive  condition  of  society,  where  legal 
complexity  could  hardly  be  said  to  exist, — and 
where,  if  it  did,  it  could  be  easily  severed  by  the 
will  of  a  single  individual, — you  can  readily  perceive 
that  it  required  no  very  great  amount  of  accumu- 
lated lore  to  fit  a  man  for  passing  judgment.  Al- 
most any  young  samurai  could  mete  out  what  little 
justice  there  was  to  be  doled  forth  to  the  harmless, 
simple  people  of  the  provincial  towns  and  villages. 
A  fair  amount  of  self-confidence — (and  these  gen- 
tlemen were  rarely  found  wanting  in  that  article) — 
and  a  knowledge  of  local  customs,  quite  fitted  any 
young  blade  for  the  position  of  Yakunin. 

The  term  "  Yakunin  "  conveys  but  a  faint  im- 
pression to  the  Saxon  mind.  But  to  the  native 
intellect  it  is  the  embodiment  of  legal  majesty.  He 
everywhere  stands  forth  as  the  executor  of  the 
royal  will,  the  inexorable  administrator  of  the  un- 
written law.     The  mountain  boor  of  Mino,  or  the 


78  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

mud-bespattered  peasant  of  Echigo,  may  have  but 
hazy  notions  of  the  invisible  power  within  the  dis- 
tant imperial  moats  of  Yamashiro,  but  he  finds  a 
tangible  something  about  the  ubiquitous  Yakunin 
that  is  impossible  to  be  ignored.  The  presence  of 
one  of  these  magistrates  is  indispensable  in  all  pub- 
lic actions.  It  is  he  that  sees  that  the  environ- 
ments of  the  castle  are  properly  cared  for.  He 
keeps  the  avenues,  roads,  and  bridges,  in  repair — 
impressing  peasants,  if  necessary,  for  the  work. 
He  regulates  tariffs  upon  the  highways,  furnishing 
horses  and  coolies  at  standard  prices.  He  collects 
the  revenues.  He  punishes  offenders.  He  guards 
the  prisons.  He  keeps  up  a  correspondence  with 
the  friendly  provinces,  and  takes  endless  pains  to 
make  hostile  ones  as  uncomfortable  as  possible. 
He  receives  envoys  and  presents  them  to  the  prince 
with  due  formality.  He  escorts.  He  spies  out 
traitors.  He  sponges  with  consummate  grace,  and 
eats  his  master's  rice  with  gratitude  exquisite  to 
behold.  By  my  troth  !  it  will  be  difficult  to  find 
anything  of  a  public  nature  of  which  a  Yakunin  is 
not,  in  some  way,  a  prime  ingredient.  Is  there  an 
obscure  mountain  village  that  needs — or  rather, 
does  not  need — a  magistrate  ?  Zounds !  he  again 
turns  up  quite  equal  to  the  emergency.  Does  my 
lord  desire  to  make  an  excursion  to  some  hot 
springs?  It  is  the  Yakunin  that  arranges  all  pre- 
liminaries. He  goes  on  ahead  to  order  the  people 
to  remain  in  their  houses  when  the  princely  fiori- 
mon  comes  down  the  street.     He  sees  that  proper 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  OLD  FEUDAL  TIMES  IN  JAPAN.    79 

deference  is  shown  by  the  coarse-minded  masses. 
He  secures  all  the  best  rooms  in  the  hotels,  bund- 
ling out  all  the  occupants  thereof.  Is  there  a  civil 
commotion  in  the  streets  ?  Behold !  the  indefati- 
gable, double-sworded  exponent  of  the  royal  will 
comes  swaggering  along,  significantly  grasping  his 
hilt,  and  orders  a  dispersion  of  the  crowd  with  a 
wave  of  his  fan. 

If  you  desire  to  see  the  atomic  beauties  of  this 
apparently  indispensable  office,  go  to  a  little  ham- 
let of  two  families,  near  Tsuruga,  in  Echizen.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  the  sire  of  one  of  these  per- 
forms the  duties  of  a  Yakunin,  diligently  attending 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community  and  seeing  that 
the  public  receive  no  hurt. 

But  a  truce  to  this.  The  night  is  well  spent,  and 
our  hand  wearies.  We  have  taken  our  glimpse  of 
a  state  of  society  that  has  existed  a  thousand 
years.  Imbecile  figure-heads  now  no  longer  are 
made  to  spurn  the  advances  of  outside  '*  barbari- 
ans." Semi-barbaric  cavalcades  of  samurai  no 
longer  follow  their  princes  in  stately  procession 
along  the  somber  avenues  that  wind  through  the 
empire.  The  horde  of  parasites  that  formerly 
flocked  about  the  palace  has  been  turned  adrift, 
while  my  noble  lord  has  been  summoned  to  Tokio, 
where  he  may  be  more  directly  under  the  imperial 
eye.  His  Daimiate  has  been  surrendered  to  the  im- 
perial government ;  and  he  is  allowed,  as  a  recom- 
pense, one-tenth  of  the  revenues  of  his  former  prov- 
ince. 


8o  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

The  speeding  years  are  dismantling  the  moated 
turrets.  The  water  lilies  bloom  upon  the  stagnant 
ponds.  Where  once  the  lotus  flowers  brooded  on 
the  murky  waters  of  the  moats,  the  bulrushes  and 
the  reeds  now  afford  shelter  for  the  sedgebird*s 
nest.  The  autumnal  leaves  have  accumulated  upon 
the  grassy  lawns.  The  dragons  and  the  bronze 
fishes  keep  solitary  vigils  over  the  crumbling  ram- 
parts. For  the  lord  of  the  estate  has  gone  forth ; 
the  turbulent  retainers  have  dispersed,  and  the  som- 
ber pines  mournfully  communing  with  the  winter 
gales,  regret  the  pageantry  of  former  years. 
Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


OUR    POSTAL   SERVICE. 


LETTER  VI. 

A   FEW  IDEAS  ABOUT   LIFE   IN  THE   INTERIOR. 
HiROSAKi,  September  lo,  1874. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

In  your  last  letter  you  asked  many  questions 
about  my  life  here  in  the  interior ;  how  I  spent  my 
time  ;  what  kind  of  a  house  I  am  living  in ;  what 
sort  of  school-buildings  we  have  ;  and  what  class 
of  scholars  are  under  me. 

Let  me  begin  with  a  description  of  my  house. 
It  is  a  well-built,  double-storied,  Japanese  dwelling, 
that  was  formerly  used  by  one  of  the  relations  of 
the  Daimio.  The  exterior  is  not  very  prepossess- 
ing; for  your  true  Jap,  however  dainty  he  may 
be  about  the  interior  arrangements  of  his  man- 
sion, appears  to  have  rather  indifferent  ideas  about 
external  show.  You  can  never  judge  of  the  afflu- 
ence of  a  family  by  outside  finish.  One  great 
beauty  about  a  native  house  is  that  you  need  hardly 
any  furniture.  The  picturesquely  papered  walls 
and  shojees,  together  with  the  neatly  polished  ceil- 
ings, make  the  general  appearance  so  pretty  that 
much  furniture  would  only  mar  the  effect.  The 
house  is  splendid  in  summer  time.  But  during 
6 


82  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

these  severe  northern  winters  it  is  very  difficult  to 
keep  warm.     I,  of  course,  have  tables  and  chairs. 

My  yard  is  also  thoroughly  Japanese.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  closely  woven  reed  fence  and  is  quite 
secluded.  I  frequently  invite  my  visitors  out  here. 
My  left-hand  neighbor  is  a  samurai  turned  photo- 
grapher. He  learned  his  profession  in  Yokohama, 
and  is  able  to  turn  out  a  very  fair  picture.  My 
right-hand  neighbor  is  a  merchant  who  has  bought 
out  the  titles  and  estates  of  an  impoverished 
samurai. 

The  school-building  is  some  three  hundred  feet 
back  of  my  house.  It  was  formerly  used  by  the 
retainers  of  the  Daimio.  In  reality  it  is  a  long 
shambling  line  of  barracks  ;  somewhat  better,  how- 
ever, than  the  usual  run  of  such  structures.  It  cost 
about  twelve  hundred  dollars;  cheap  enough  from 
our  stand-point,  but  rather  expensive  from  a  native's, 
the  cost  of  whose  humble  domicile  does  not  often 
exceed  four  hundred.  The  large  school-room  is 
furnished  with  benches,  tables,  maps,  globes,  and 
black-boards.  A  large  stove  stands  guard  at  my 
end  of  the  room.  The  floor  is  bare  but  well 
polished.  Light  is  admitted  through  a  series  of 
glass  windows  arranged  along  the  side  of  the  room. 
Their  transparency  furnishes  an  inexhaustible  fund 
of  astonishment  to  the  country  folks.  The  adjoin- 
ing room  contains  a  small  library  and  a  few  mathe- 
matical instruments.  Beyond  this  room  is  the 
dining-room,  which  you  will  find  to  be  well  satu- 
rated with  the  odor  of   salt   radish,  rice,  and  fish. 


A  FEW  IDEAS  ABOUT  LIFE  IN  THE  INTERIOR.    83 

Beyond  this  again,  extends  a  long  series  of  rooms 
for  the  boarding  scholars.  Then  come  the  offices 
of  the  directors. 

On  the  whole,  after  seeing  the  miserable  villages 
that  line  the  road  from  Awomori,  you  will  be  posi- 
tively surprised  at  the  really  academic  appearance  of 
the  institution.  From  a  native  stand-point,  these 
are  exceedingly  liberal  arrangements.  The  accom- 
modations are  the  best  in  the  city.  The  situation 
is  the  most  aristocratic,  being  upon  the  edge  of  the 
outer  moat,  and  the  furniture  seems  quite  elabo- 
rate to  a  native.  The  school  is  supported  by  the 
ex-Daimio.  You  cannot  help  admiring  the  endeav- 
ors of  this  people  to  obtain  learning.  The  scholars 
number  about  eighty.  They  are  all  the  sons  of 
samurai :  common  folks  do  not  yet  frequent  the 
school.  When  you  get  acquainted  with  the  boys, 
you  find  them  a  sharp  set  of  youths.  The  first  time 
I  entered  the  school-room  they  all  seemed  alike,^ 
and  I  was  much  puzzled  to  know  how  to  dis- 
tinguish them.  I  found  them  all  very  polite  and 
very  attentive  to  their  duties.  Their  ages  averaged 
sixteen.  Their  style  of  learning  differs  somewhat 
from  ours.  They  adopt  the  Chinese  style  of  com- 
mitting everything  to  memory.  A  boy  will  ac- 
curately repeat  a  whole  page,  and  yet  have  but 
little  idea  of  its  meaning.  I  have  great  trouble  in 
breaking  them  of  this  habit.  In  studying  they 
raise  a  tremendous  row.  Three  or  four  will  get 
into  the  school-room,  and  rock  back  and  forth  upon 
the  benches  yelling  in  unison  the  next  day's  history 


84  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

lesson.  They  shout  forth  sentence  by  sentence 
until  it  is  learned.  Take  such  a  sentence  as 
*'  Caesar,  having  vanquished  Pompey,  returned  tri- 
umphantly to  Rome."  They  first  repeat  Caesar 
half-a-dozen  times ;  then  they  bawl  forth  the  par- 
ticipial phrase  at  least  a  dozen  times;  and,  finally, 
yell  forth  the  concluding  clause  with  such  deafen- 
ing gusto  that  you  might  well  imagine  the  immor- 
tal Caesar  and  a  legion  of  hoodlums  at  his  heels 
were  triumphantly  announcing  the  fact  that  the 
vanquished  Pompey  had  gone  below,  where  fathers- 
in-law  cease  troubling. 

The  foreign  teacher  in  Japan  holds  rather  an 
anomalous  position.  He  is  at  first  disposed  to  con- 
sider himself  merely  a  pedagogue  plying  his  humble 
avocation  for  exceedingly  lucky  wages.  But  he 
soon  finds  that  he  holds  a  highly  respectable  posi- 
tion. His  house  is  generally  the  best  in  the  city, 
and  occupies  a  site  where  only  the  relatives  of  the 
Daimio  were  formerly  permitted  to  live,  and  he 
finds  himself  decidedly  the  leader  of  fashion.  All 
the  scholars  pattern  after  him  as  closely  as  possible, 
and  receive  no  small  amount  of  social  distinction 
from  being  under  the  tuition  of  a  foreigner.  The 
head  men  of  the  city  will  be  proud  to  visit  and  re- 
ceive visits  from  him.  Should  he  be  under  govern- 
ment employ  at  Tokio  he  is  at  liberty  to  call  on 
the  emperor  on  New  Year's  Day.  The  emperor 
visits  the  schools  frequently.  In  the  early  days, 
before  he  had  begun  to  feel  his  importance,  he 
would  listen  to  examinations,  present  prizes,  and 


A  FEW  IDEAS  ABOUT  LIFE  IN  THE  INTERIOR.    85 

submit  to  long-winded  addresses  from  the  masters 
and  directors  with  commendable  patience.  And  on 
one  occasion,  in  Kioto,  he  even  condescended  to 
partake  of  refreshments  offered  by  one  of  the 
teachers. 

Whenever  I  go  out  for  a  walk  the  directors  send 
an  escort  with  me.  They  seem  to  fear  my  coming 
to  grief  at  the  hands  of  some  fanatical  satnurai. 
When  I  first  came  here,  every  time  I  went  out  for 
a  walk  about  thirty  of  the  scholars  would  turn  out 
with  me.  They  came  ostensibly  for  the  exercise, 
but  I  think  they  were  possessed  with  a  desire  to 
cut  a  swell  in  their  native  streets.  And  so  the 
whole  crowd  would  come  streaming  after  me  in  a 
long  procession,  bringing  the  whole  town  out  by 
the  din  of  their  clogs.  To  shake  them  off  appeared 
impossible.  I  was  finally  inspired  with  the  idea  of 
lengthening  my  strides  to  a  regular  training  gait. 
All  manfully  endeavored  to  keep  up.  Away  we 
stalked  down  the  main  street,  across  the  suburbs, 
through  the  fields,  and  down  the  long  avenue  that 
stretched  toward  the  mountains.  Three  or  four  of 
the  stoutest  managed  to  keep  up,  but  we  could 
look  back  over  two  miles  of  straggling  squads  of 
demoralized  small  boys.  The  stratagem  worked 
like  a  charm.  Thereafter  my  escort  consisted  of 
three  stout  pedestrians.  One  day  my  escort  being 
tardy,  I  slipped  out  alone.  Upon  my  return  I 
found  the  whole  board  of  directors  convulsed  with 
consternation.  They  had  sent  the  whole  school  in 
all  directions  to  hunt  me  up.     One  squad  didn't 


86  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

get  back  until  near  ten  o'clock,  having,  as  they,  rep- 
resented, gone  clown  the  extreme  length  of  my 
most  extensive  walk ;  doubtless,  however,  tarrying 
by  the  wayside  booths  to  brush  dull  care  away 
with  a  little  sak^  and  fish.  My  return  seemed  to 
afford  infinite  relief.  One  eagerly  inquired  whether 
I  had  received  any  injury ;  another,  whether  any- 
one had  insulted  me  ;  and  yet  another,  whether  I 
wasn't  afraid  of  the  dogs.  They  said  they  were 
afraid  of  my  being  cut  down  by  some  of  the  discon- 
tented old-style  samurai  who  were  bitter  against 
foreigners,  believing  them  to  have  been  instru- 
mental in  the  abolition  of  feudalism.  My  escort 
thereafter  was  always  on  time. 

The  avenue  just  spoken  of  leads  to  the  east 
until  it  strikes  the  grand  avenue  that  leads  over 
mountain,  stream,  and  plain,  until  it  reaches  Tokio 
and  ends  in  Nihon-Bashi.  Along  this  noble  high- 
way swept  the  trains  of  the  Daimios  as  they  passed 
down  to  do  homage  to  the  dread  power  of  the 
Tokugawas  at  Yeddo.  Hither  flocked  his  retainers 
and  subjects  to  bid  god-speed  to  him  on  his  tedious 
journey ;  bowing  themselves  to  the  ground  as  his 
stately  7torimon  (sort  of  palankeen),  borne  on  the 
shoulders  of  attendants,  passed  between  the  sway- 
ing multitudes.  Down  where  the  avenue  merges 
into  the  winding  mountain  road  among  the  foot- 
hills formerly  stood  the  summer  villa  of  his  Excel- 
lency. Here  his  relations  and  retainers,  who  were 
not  going  to  accompany  him,  took  their  leave, 
sipped  the  farewell  cup,  and  turned  their  steps  back 


A  FEW  IDEAS  ABOUT  LIFE  IN  THE  INTERIOR.    87 

to  their  quiet  city  and  solemn  groves,  regretting, 
perchance,  that  they  were  not  to  visit  the  wonders 
of  the  distant  metropolis. 

A  melancholy  recollection  will  always  linger 
around  these  stately  highways.  They  are  not  so 
well  kept  as  of  yore.  The  small  pines  are  fre- 
quently cut  down  of  a  dark  night  by  fuel-seekers, 
who  dislike  to  trudge  off  to  the  mountains  for  their 
fagots,  and  who  would  have  atoned  for  their  in- 
dolence with  their  heads  in  former  days,  for  the 
Daimios  took  much  pride  in  their  roads. 

During  the  summer  afternoons  this  place  forms 
a  popular  resort  for  the  citizens  of  Hirosaki.  You 
frequently  come  across  large  picnic  ptirties  holding 
high  carnival  beneath  some  spreading  tree,  or  upon 
some  swelling  knoll  where  no  passing  breeze  is  lost. 
As  we  pass  along,  some  jolly  customer,  brimful  of 
saki  and  fish,  will  rise  up  from  the  feast  and  per- 
form the  weird  fan-dance,  to  the  delight  of  his  up- 
roarious companions,  who  applaud  and  laugh  at  his 
tipsy  flings.  Sometimes  one  of  the  party  will  en- 
deavor to  absorb  the  attention  of  the  company  by 
singing  a  song  or  telling  a  story,  wherein  his  fath- 
omless shrewdness  figures  conspicuously.  These 
convivial  groups  frequently  remain  long  after  the 
moon  has  risen,  and  in  the  still  hours  of  the 
evening  you  can  hear  parties  returning  from  some 
rollicking  cruise,  hiccough  forth  barbaric  odes  that 
make  you  dream  of  Chinese  horns  and  Moorish 
conches  for  the  remainder  of  the  night.  For  you 
must  bear  in  mind  that  there  is  nothing  like  Japan- 


88  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

ese  singing,  either  on  the  earth,  or  in  the  heavens 
above,  or  in  the  waters  beneath.  The  operator 
first  makes  a  prolonged  hissing  sound  by  drawing 
his  breath  between  his  lips.  He  then  closes  his 
eyes  so  tight  that  you  fancy  he  never  intends  open- 
ing them  again  upon  this  cruel  world.  Then  a 
series  of  groans  and  grunts  begin  to  wallow  up  from 
the  depths  of  his  abdominal  recesses,  finally  ex- 
ploding from  his  mouth  in  a  succession  of  fiendish 
hoots  and  yells.  In  the  meantime  his  contorted 
features  loosen  and  shake  themselves  out  into 
expressions  of  the  most  approving  and  ineffable 
serenity ;  while  he  occasionally  claps  his  hands  as 
if  forcibly  appropriating  that  applause  which  he 
certainly  ought  never  otherwise  to  obtain. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  first  time  I  heard  one  of 
these  execrable  productions  of  the  infernal  muse. 
It  was  on  the  trip  from  Hakodate  to  Awomori. 
As  the  steamer  came  to  anchor,  I  went  below  to 
get  my  valise.  While  picking  it  up,  I  thought 
some  one  was  speaking.  Turning  around,  I  saw  a 
raw-boned  fisherman  in  the  opening  stages  of  this 
interesting  frenzy,  and  supposed  from  his  agonized 
countenance  that  he  was  suffering  from  an  attack 
of  seasickness.  But  he  wasn't.  He  exploded  into 
one  of  his  most  impassioned  strains,  making  my  ears 
fairly  tingle. 

Flute  playing  is  also  a  popular  source  of  recrea- 
tion, and  appears  to  instill  the  very  essence  of  amia- 
bility into  the  savage  breasts  of  this  neighborhood. 
Four  patrons  of  this  divine  art,  in  the  immediate 


A  FEW  IDEAS  ABOUT  LIFE  IN  THE  INTERIOR.    89 

vicinity  of  my  house,  possess  as  many  specimens  of 
these  sweet  little  sticks.  The  melody  is  a  mourn- 
ful strain  of  unvarying  monotony  that  they  appear 
to  be  never  tired  of  playing.  On  moonlight  nights 
they  and  I  are  particularly  wakeful.  Singing  and  flute 
playing,  with  desultory  strumming  on  fiddles,  com- 
pletely exhaust  the  musical  genius  of  this  people. 
The  opera,  the  oratorio,  the  concert,  are  utterly 
unknown.  There  is  no  requesting  Miss  Tomita  or 
Miss  Tanaka  to  afford  you  the  exquisite  pleasure 
of  seeing  her  down  to  hear  Parepa  or  Rubenstein  ; 
no  inspection  of  dashing  actresses  through  binocular 
magnifiers;  no  formidable  array  of  claw-hammer 
parquets  ;  no  small  boy  always  dodging  between 
you  and  the  prima  donna  ;  no  steaming  and  puffing 
while  trying  to  get  out ;  and  no  hagglings  with 
hackmen  after  you  are  out.  Blissful  primeval  sim- 
plicity !  In  America  the  evenings  form  the  favored 
time  for  brilliant  gatherings,  but  here  they  are  a 
perfect  blank.  With  the  setting  sun,  the  doors  are 
slid  to,  and  drowsiness  or  gossiping  relaxations  end 
the  day. 

Between  teaching,  and  walking,  and  reading  my 
home  mail,  time  is  well  spent.  Should  ennui,  how- 
ever, steal  upon  mc  unawares,  I  sally  forth  into  my 
kitchen  to  refresh  my  boy's  rather  hazy  ideas  of 
bread-making  with  a  few  rather  indefinite  views  of 
my  own,  which  appear  to  leave  him  more  hopelessly 
perplexed  than  ever.  A  boy  is  an  indispensable 
appendage  of  the  Oriental  sojourner.  It  is  the  boy 
that  cooks,  washes  the  dishes,  and  waits  on  the 


90  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

table.  He  makes  your  bed,  and  fills  your  lamps, 
and  cleans  your  room.  He  looks  after  your  inter- 
ests generally.  He  will  not  allow  any  one  to  cheat 
you,  but  always  takes  a  percentage  of  all  money 
passing  through  his  hands,  the  rate  of  which  will  be 
proportioned  to  the  rascality  of  his  nature  and  the 
carelessness  of  his  master. 

But  the  specimen  that  I  possess  will  never  be  able 
to  add  much  to  his  income,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  he  lacks  the  cleverness  for  cheating,  and  barely 
possesses  the  requisite  amount  of  intelligence  for 
chewing  rice.  It  was  only  after  much  difficulty 
that  his  services  could  be  procured,  for  the  people 
here  are  rather  timid  about  foreigners.  He  set  his 
wages  at  five  dollars  per  month  ;  and  I  made  no  ob- 
jection. From  this  income,  he  supports  a  wife,  and 
is  able  to  sport  a  pair  of  woolen  drawers,  to  the  no 
small  envy  of  his  former  associates  who  are  com- 
pelled to  ply  their  daily  avocations  minus  that 
delectable  article  of  apparel. 

My  boy  has  very  vague  ideas  about  foreign  styles 
of  cooking.  To  begin,  he  thinks  it  useless  to  wash 
his  hands  before  kneading  up  the  dough.  I  am  in- 
flexibly of  the  contrary  opinion.  As  to  ever  wash- 
ing out  the  dish-wiper,  why,  that's  pure  fogyism ! 
He  considers  it  an  absurd  piece  of  foreign  fastid- 
iousness to  beat  up  the  whites  of  the  eggs  before 
mixing  with  the  sugar  and  flour.  My  own  views 
as  to  the  necessity  of  this  proceeding  not  being  very 
clear,  I  am  not  prepared  to  convict  him  on  this 
point.     Therefore  I  refer  the  matter  for  your  deci- 


A  FEW  IDEAS  ABOUT  LIFE  IN  THE  INTERIOR.    9 1 

sion  ;  for  I  am  by  no  means  disposed  to  give  slavish 
deference  to  the  recipe. 

He  roasts  a  fowl  quite  fairly,  but  he  hasn't  the 
least  idea  as  to  how  stuffing  is  made.  Neither  have 
I.  His  omelets  are  passable,  that  is  to  say,  would 
not  be  taken  for  soap.  It  is  on  sponge  cake,  how- 
ever, that  he  prides  himself.  But  it  is  fair  to  paren- 
thetically remark  that  his  master  is  not  particularly 
elated  with  his  proficiency  in  this  branch  of  cuisine 
accomplishment.  Nevertheless  I  must  modestly 
intimate  that  this  cake  is  quite  palatable  when  I 
chance  to  assist  in  its  concoction.  Otherwise,  he 
appears  to  exert  some  fell  influence  over  its  proper 
development.  He  takes  a  melancholy  satisfaction 
in  having  the  top  sag  down  like  the  crater  of  a  vol- 
cano. Now  I  would  not  be  fastidious  about  the 
shape,  provided  this  depression  did  not  reduce  the 
interior  to  the  flavor  and  consistency  of  leather.  I 
am  fully  convinced  that  he  slaps  all  the  ingredients 
together  into  a  dish  and  then  shoves  it  into  an  oven. 

The  first  loaf  of  bread  seemed  to  give  his  honest 
heart  genuine  satisfaction  as  he  came  grinning  into 
my  study  with  it  in  his  hands.  I  told  him  to  cut 
me  a  slice.  His  knife  slipped  hopelessly  off  the 
crust.  He  finally  got  it  apart  by  driving  the  meat 
knife  perpendicularly  through  the  center  and  bear- 
ing heavily  against  the  handle,  making  some  artless 
remarks  meanwhile  about  its  being  somewhat  kattai 
(tough).  The  inside  was  as  yellow  as  a  carrot.  I 
jntimated  that  the  color  wasn't  exactly  orthodox  ; 
and  that  adamantine  inflexibility  was  not  considered 


92  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

a  requisite  of  the  staff  of  life.  I  condescended, 
however,  to  initiate  his  unenlightened  mind  into 
the  mysteries  of  this  science  by  making  three  or 
four  loaves  myself,  and  was  able,  with  comparative 
ease,  to  turn  out  some  very  fair  specimens  of  brick- 
bats. We  mutually  agreed  to  give  it  up  as  a  bad 
job,  and  I  fell  back  upon  the  crackers  in  my  store- 
box. 

His  ideas  of  coffee-making  were  also  based  upon 
erroneous  conceptions  of  the  art.  His  first  efforts 
resulted  in  a  complicated  emulsion  that  failed  to 
pass  muster,  or  my  throat.  I  told  him  to  put  an 
Ggg  into  it  next  time,  for  that  would  settle  the 
grounds.  The  following  morning  a  long,  sooty  jet 
of  liquid  streamed  from  the  nozzle  into  my  cup. 
He  looked  perplexed,  and  began  scratching  his 
head,  muttering  something  about  yukinai  (not 
right).  The  cover  was  lifted,  and  lo!  the  unbroken 
ii^'gy  boiled  to  a  flint!  Considerable  explanation 
convinced  him  of  the  propriety  of  breaking  the  ^^^ 
into  the  grounds  before  pouring  on  the  hot  water. 

I  have  occasion  to  feel  devoutly  thankful  that  I 
am  not  dependent  on  him  for  my  living.  If  I  allow 
him  to  discontinue  his  coffee-making  for  three  days 
he  invariably  forgets  the  recipe,  and  brings  in  on 
the  fourth  a  mixture  much  resembling  tar,  both  as 
to  flavor  and  consistency.  If  I  permit  him  to  dis- 
continue cake-making  for  a  week  he  produces  a  batch 
of  cookies  that  would  infallibly  bring  tears  to  the 
eyes  of  a  frisky  crocodile.  And  as  to  his  griddle- 
cakes  !     Pitiful  Zeus !     They  are  so  elastic  that  the 


A  FE  W  IDEAS  ABOUT  LIFE  IN  THE  INTERIOR.    93 

Supreme  Court  and  Amphictyonic  Council  com- 
bined could  sit  thereon  without  leaving  the  least 
impression. 

About  once  a  month  he  is  smitten  with  an  unac- 
countable ambition  to  tickle  his  indulgent  master's 
palate  with  some  new  dish.  It  is  impossible  to 
imagine  from  what  source  these  combinations  of 
culinary  genius  take  their  rise.  He  usually  spends 
about  two  hours  over  these  inspired  stews.  I  am 
invariably  forewarned  of  their  debut  by  about  an 
hour  of  deafening  hissing  and  sizzling  in  the  region 
of  the  kitchen,  combined  with  a  powerful  odor, 
compared  with  which  garlic  and  boiled  cabbage 
would  be  ethereal  and  delicate  perfumes.  He  then 
slides  back  the  shojee,  and,  with  a  face  wriggling 
with  ecstatic  subjective  approval,  hopes  the  danna- 
san  (master)  will  condescend  to  try  a  trifling  variety 
in  cooking  that  his  unworthy  servant  has  had  the 
presumption  to  innovate.  The  danna-san  tries  to 
smile  a  melancholy  approval.  But  when  the  in- 
spired prodigy  has  gone  out,  the  heartless  danna- 
san  throws  half  of  the  mess  into  the  yard  to  be  eaten 
by  the  crows,  leaving  the  remainder  to  be  eaten  by 
the  precious  inventor.  The  crows  eye  the  mixture 
with  considerable  suspicion  before  bolting  it.  And 
for  the  next  two  or  three  hours  I  fancy  myself  able 
to  detect  a  certain  listlessness  in  their  deportment, 
as  if  they  were  suffering  from  indigestion, — if  it  be 
possible  to  conceive  of  anything  disagreeing  with  a 
crow. 

I  would  not  part  with  this  boy  for  a  number  of 


94  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

reasons.  In  the  first  place,  it  would  be  impossible 
to  find  another  one  in  the  province  to  take  his 
place.  Secondly,  although  he  knows  nearly  as 
much  about  cooking  as  I  do,  yet  he  knows  more 
than  the  whole  province  combined.  And  it  would 
take  at  least  a  year  to  instill  his  concentrated  knowl- 
edge of  the  subject  into  a  new  customer.  Finally, 
I  might  go  wild  with  ennui  had  I  not  his  diversions 
to  amuse  me.  I  gain  a  splendid  idea  of  the  utter 
ignorance  of  this  people  concerning  our  civilized 
notions  of  living  ;  and  also  a  practical  knowledge  of 
their  charming  primitive  simplicity  as  regards  meth- 
ods of  reinvigorating  the  inner  man.  His  meals 
are  very  simple.  He  merely  throws  a  couple  of 
handfuls  of  rice  into  some  water,  and  allows  it  to 
boil  until  cooked.  He  then  falls  to,  and  chokes  it 
down  with  a  couple  of  sticks,  ever  and  anon  nibbling 
a  piece  of  salt-radish.  In  eating  his  mouth  works 
like  an  ungreased  pump,  making  noise  enough  to  be 
heard  in  my  study.  And  yet  his  system  is  un- 
doubtedly more  complicated  than  Adam's.  The 
revered  progenitor  of  our  unfortunate  race  doubt- 
less never  took  the  trouble  to  boil  his  vegetables. 
And  he  probably  hadn't  the  remotest  conception  of 
the  chop-sticks  used  by  this  portion  of  his  fallen 
posterity,  finding  his  fingers  quite  handy  for  stuff- 
ing down  raw  chops,  and  easily  cleaned  by  sucking 
and  rubbing  through  his  hair.  And  as  to  washing 
his  hands  before  indulging  in  culinary  freaks,  he 
would  probably  have  shaken  hands  with  his  de- 
graded descendant.     And  as  for  beating  up  eggs 


A  FEW  IDEAS  ABOUT  LIFE  IN  THE  INTERIOR.    95 

instead  of  instantly  sucking  the  ends, — ah  !  it  is  too 
evident  we  have  fallen  from  the  primitive  style  of 
preparing  chow-chow. 

But,  in  addition  to  my  boy,  I  find  my  spare  time 
well  taken  up  in  defeating  the  machinations  of  my 
neighbors*  cat  and  dog.  The  former  animal,  in 
particular,  I  view  with  hostile  emotions.  One  day 
my  boy  and  I,  after  uniting  our  combined  skill  and 
intelligence,  were  able  to  produce  a  dish  somewhat 
resembling  chicken  pot-pie.  'Tis  true  the  resem- 
blance was  not  remarkably  striking ;  still  we  flattered 
ourselves  that  we  had  done  a  pretty  good  thing, 
although  the  pastry  did  look  like  distress.  While 
anticipating  a  second  delicious  meal  off  this  dish 
my  combination  of  chief  butler  and  baker  suddenly 
announced  that  a  certain  bob-tail  cat  had  entered 
the  cupboard  in  some  mysterious  manner,  and  had 
feloniously  absconded  with  the  remnants.  My  first 
proposition  was  to  shoot  the  cat ;  and,  with  the  in- 
tent of  carrying  out  my  deadly  designs,  I  began 
unpacking  the  accumulation  of  dust  and  rust  from 
the  chambers  of  my  revolver.  But  when  the  direc- 
tors heard  that  I  was  lying  in  wait  with  deliberate 
intent  to  annihilate  the  vile  transgressor,  they  were 
greviously  agitated  and  begged  me  to  desist,  inas- 
much as  it  might  frighten  the  people,  and  as  it  was 
against  the  local  laws.  The  firing  of  a  shot  would 
probably  form  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. The  immediate  community  would  take 
some  weeks  to  finish  comparing  notes  as  to  the 
volume  and  quality  of  the  report,  and  the  inimical 


96  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

character  of  the  agent.  Taking  heed  of  their  ad- 
monitions, I  thereupon  inserted  some  acetate  of 
lead  and  white  vitriol  into  sundry  pieces  of  meat, 
and,  with  savage  exultation,  saw  the  animal  walk 
off  with  them.  But  to  my  infinite  disgust,  the 
brute  called  around  next  day  for  more.  But  he 
quit  coming  after  that,  and  the  curtain  falls  upon 
his  further  history. 

The  dog  lives  two  doors  off.  From  my  first  ap- 
pearance he  took  a  violent  antipathy  to  my  person, 
and  I  have  never  been  to  much  trouble  to  dissi- 
pate that  prejudice.  Should  he  happen  to  be 
outside  when  I  appear  on  the  road  he  instantly 
springs  into  position  behind  the  fence,  and  com- 
mences a  furious  attack  by  barking  up  and  down 
behind,  occasionally  venturing  to  seize  it  between 
his  teeth,  and  shake  it  violently  ;  creating  the  im- 
pression, as  we  poor  mortals  are  sometimes  wont  to 
do,  that  but  for  this  impediment  wonderful  things 
might  be  accomplished.  On  one  occasion  he  unin- 
tentionally threw  himself  against  a  weak  place,  and 
came  tumbling  through  into  the  road.  It  was 
interesting  to  notice  the  rapidity  with  which  he 
resumed  his  former  position. 

Another  idiosyncrasy  of  his  is  to  gnaw  holes 
through  my  reed  fence  and  tear  up  the  flowers, 
and  root  around  generally.  My  boy  then  goes  out 
and  claps  his  hands  at  him  and  says  '' Shoo  f 
C hicks  haw  f  ^"^  (Begone!  Beast!)  Whereupon  the 
dog  wags  his  tail  and  continues  operations  in  the 
most  jocular  frame  of  mind    imaginable,  until  he 


A  FEW  IDEAS  ABOUT  LIFE  IN  THE  INTERIOR.    97 

sees  the  ominous  shadow  of  a  top-boot  sailing 
through  the  air,  when  he  suspends  operations  long 
enough  to  carry  it  off.  His  partiality  to  my  yard 
increases  in  direct  proportion  to  my  murderous  as- 
saults upon  his  person.  He  spends  as  much  of  his 
time  here  as  he  can.  On  one  occasion  he  came 
near  creating  a  complicated  legal  discussion  by  bit- 
ing another  man's  pig  that  had  meandered  near  my 
veranda.  He  sometimes  invites  in  two  or  three  of 
his  chums  to  help  him  in  his  horticultural  pursuits. 
He  also  comes  here  to  fight  out  his  duels.  The 
furious  combatants  paw  up  the  soft  loam,  and 
leave  the  yard  like  the  field  of  Waterloo. 

All  dogs  up  here  have  a  wolfish  propensity  for 
howling  at  night.  They  have  a  great  variety  of 
tones,  and  rising  and  falling  inflections.  This  dog 
appears  to  be  a  kind  of  chorister.  His  companions 
seem  to  regard  his  voice  as  something  uncommonly 
fine.  Now  this  canine  nightingale  invariably  trains 
his  band  just  beside  my  window  at  midnight,  ap- 
parently considering  night  air  specially  suited  for 
this  purpose.  His  enthusiastic  efiforts  usually  rouse 
ambition  in  the  emulous  breasts  of  two  or  three 
other  band-masters  in  the  vicinity ;  and  they  rout 
out  their  classes  and  start  up  opposition.  These 
songsters  then  exchange  challenges,  and  have  a 
grand  fight,  and  in  the  morning  I  wake  to  find 
my  ink  jug  and  fourteen  tin  cans  lying  around  the 
yard,  while  the  boy's  clogs  have  been  driven  through 
the  fence  into  the  side  of  my  neighbor's  house. 

**  But  he  still  lives.  Aye,  lives,  and  confronts  me 
7 


98  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

daily "  with  a  knowing  wink  whenever  I  appear 
outside.  After  all,  his  machinations  lack  the 
malicious  audacity  of  the  cat.  I  permit  him  to 
exist.  Betwixt  him  and  my  unhung  chief  baker,  I 
shall  be  able  to  worry  out  my  contract  here.  I 
shall  not  renew  it.  The  loneliness  is  too  sepulchral. 
Thanks  to  Fred,  I  have  a  good  offer  at  Tokio  that 
I  shall  accept.  The  monotony  of  life  in  the  interior 
is  extremely  wearing.  Up  at  seven,  breakfast  at 
eight,  school  from  nine  to  three,  allowing  an  hour 
for  dinner,  and  reading  and  walking  to  finish  the 
day.  There  you  have  it  in  a  nut-shell.  To  pursue 
the  same  routine,  to  sit  down  to  meals  alone,  to 
have  no  healthy  excitement  for  the  mind  for 
months,  will  be  a  strong  test  for  the  most  elastic 
minds.  In  the  first  six  months  you  finish  all  your 
investigations.  The  novelty  gives  you  mental  tone. 
But  after  that,  you  come  to  your  rope's  end,  and 
it  will  be  well  for  your  soul  if  you  possess  sufficient 
moral  ambition  and  elevation  of  spirit  to  avoid  the 
foul  example  of  the  majority  of  those  living  inland, 
who,  when  they  depart,  leave  an  unfortunate  prog- 
eny to  drag  out  a  degraded  existence. 

I  hope  you  will  not  feel  shocked  at  my  allusions 
to  this  subject  in  my  letters,  for  it  is  the  chief 
characteristic  of  foreign  life  in  Japan.  I  shall  al- 
ways handle  the  subject  without  ceremony  or 
mercy.  Would  that  I  could  blot  out  this  hateful 
stain  upon  our  civilization  !  Write  soon. 
Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


MAVV.IIAKA  ;    1  VI-KAI.    <U.l)-STYI.E    SAMl  KAI  ;    HEHEAl'EU 
H'MENTING    KFHELI.IOS-    IN    IHOSHU. 


1876    K»K 


LETTER  VII. 

A  TRAGEDY. 

HiROSAKi,  October  14,  1874. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

Your  letter  inquiring  about  the  terrible  murder 
of  the  German  Consul  at  Hakodate  came  duly  to 
hand.  I  shall  devote  this  letter  to  a  description  of 
it.  The  facts  in  the  case  are  derived  partly  from 
personal  observation,  partly  from  my  interpreter, 
partly  from  Mr.  Hawes,  the  American  Consul  in 
Hakodate,  who  was  present  at  the  trial  and  exe- 
cution of  the  assassin,  and  partly  from  the  con- 
fessions of  the  assassin  himself  in  court. 

During  the  month  of  August,  the  directors  al- 
lowed a  vacation.  I  decided  to  spend  it  in 
Hakodate,  and  consequently  set  off  from  Hirosaki 
in  the  latter  part  of  July.  One  of  my  scholars  was 
to  form  my  escort,  for  the  authorities  still  seemed 
to  fear  for  my  personal  safety ;  and  before  I  re- 
turned to  my  duties  I  was  convinced  that  their 
apprehensions  were  well  grounded.  They  thor- 
oughly understood  their  countrymen. 

The  summers  in  this  province  are  very  hot,  so 
we  started  off  at  dawn,  while  the  dew  was  yet  rest- 
ing  on    the    fields,  and    when   the  town  was  just 


lOO  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

beginning  to  stir.  The  scenery  differed  much 
from  that  of  my  previous  ride  in  March.  Instead 
of  sleet,  slush,  and  a  shivering  population,  we  had 
green  fields  and  a  hot  and  dusty  road : — the  chil- 
dren were  naked ;  the  men  had  merely  a  rag 
around  their  waists ;  and  the  women  were  stripped 
down  to  their  girdles.  We  reached  Awomori  at 
dusk.  After  five  months  of  mediaeval  existence 
the  sight  of  telegraphic  wires  was  exhilarating.  We 
went  over  the  straits  by  moonlight.  The  water 
was  almost  perfectly  smooth,  being  merely  ruffled 
a  little  by  the  strong  current  in  mid-channel.  In 
summer  this  northern  scenery  is  enchanting.  The 
lofty  crests  of  distant  Iwa-ki-san,  the  well-wooded 
promontories  that  plow  half  way  through  the 
straits,  the  chiseled  cones  of  Ycsso,  and  the  lights 
glimmering  around  the  shores,  form  a  glimpse  of 
matchless  landscape  that  I  love  to  conjure  up  in 
my  lonelier  hours.  Looking  down  the  vista  of  the 
future,  we  brush  away  the  fishing  hamlets  and 
squalid  huts,  and  girt  the  lovely  shores  with 
elegant  villas  and  palatial  mansions  of  millionaires 
from  Tokio  and  gouty  bankers  from  Scndai,  who, 
as  Saturday  night  comes  round,  leave  the  bustling 
marts  and  take  the  Northern  Express  for  Awomori 
to  see  their  families  summering  round  the  bay. 

We  reached  Hakodate  at  dawn.  This  is  the 
last  place  in  Japan  to  be  selected  as  the  scene  for  a 
tragedy.  From  times  when  the  memory  of  man 
ceaseth  to  hold,  it  has  been  booked  as  a  place  fit 
for  exiles  and  spirits  destitute  of  ambition.     It  is 


*    ». 


vaguely  reported  that  sundry  rollicking  tars  from 
off  Perry's  squadron,  during  its  cruise  nearly 
twenty  years  ago,  had  a  spree  and  came  to  blows 
with  the  natives.  However  that  may  be,  Hako- 
date now  can  register  one  event  which,  taken  with 
all  its  circumstances  of  barbarous  atrocity  and 
appalling  suddenness,  stands  without  parallel  in 
the  history  of  the  Treaty  Ports. 

There  lived  in  Akitah,  the  province  just  south  of 
Awomori,  a  young  samurai  of  a  somewhat  morose 
disposition.  In  the  good  old  days  when  the 
Daimios  supported  legions  of  retainers,  the  family 
of  this  youth  managed  to  live  with  some  degree 
of  style,  being  able  to  considerably  elevate  their 
heads  above  the  peasantry.  Under  this  auspicious 
state  of  society,  our  young  warrior  was  duly 
educated  in  all  that  pertained  to  feudal  military 
lore.  He  could  dream  over  the  charming  pros- 
pect of  future  ease,  with  the  prospect  of  a  fat 
Yakunin-ship  looming  up  beyond.  But  the  for- 
eigner came  and  brought  trouble  and  revolution. 
The  southern  princes  warred  against  the  northern 
princes  and  prevailed  ;  and,  in  accordance  with  the 
ideas  of  the  foreigner,  the  old  order  of  things  was 
abolished  and  the  centralized  imperial  government 
was  instituted,  to  the  boundless  disgust  of  thousands 
of  samurai  thus  cast  adrift.  Some  of  them  in- 
herited sufficient  property  to  live  in  comparative 
style  ;  some  held  sinecures  under  the  government ; 
while  many  of  the  less  favored  were  compelled  to 
resort   to   manual    labor,   and   the   papers    would 


1 62  LETTEJ^S  FROM  JAPAN. 

sometimes  announce  how  a  whole  family  had  been 
found  starved  to  death,  being  too  ignorant  to  per- 
form any  kind  of  mental  work,  and  too  haughty  to 
lift  a  finger  at  any  other.  To  illustrate  the  extreme 
contempt  in  which  labor  is  held,  in  my  walks 
around  Hirosaki  I  frequently  met  men  whose  faces 
were  disguised  with  towels.  Upon  inquiry,  I  was 
informed  that  they  were  poor  samurai  returning 
from  their  work  in  the  rice-fields,  and  that  they 
were  so  mortified  at  their  occupation  that  they  did 
not  wish  to  be  recognized  in  public. 

Now,  our  hero  was  poor  and  proud.  He  earned 
his  living  for  two  or  three  years  by  teaching  the 
old  native  literature,  which,  by  the  way,  is  intensely 
anti-foreign  in  its  sentiments,  and  abounds  in  glow- 
ing exhortations  to  the  young  men  of  the  country 
to  be  patriotic  and  adhere  to  pure  old  Japanese 
institutions.  These  exhortations  were  illustrated 
by  thrilling  stories  of  devoted  youth  flinging  away 
their  lives  pro  bono  publico.  He  brooded  over 
these  wild  precepts  and  legends,  and  thoroughly 
imbibed  their  spirit  of  animosity  toward  foreigners. 
This  contributed  to  sour  a  temper  already  short  of 
the  original  allowance  of  amiability.  About  this 
time  he  caught  his  first  glimpse  of  a  foreigner — a 
red-headed  sailor  pumping  out  a  small  ship  that 
had  put  into  the  coast  from  stress  of  weather, 
whereupon  his  contempt  for  the  '*  yellow-haired 
beasts "  from  the  west  increased  immeasurably. 
In  addition  to  this,  he  was  galled  by  the  taunts  of 
his  comrades  for  having  sneaked  out  of  the  civil 


A    TRAGEDY.  IO3 

war  some  three  years  before,  for  it  came  out  dur- 
ing the  course  of  the  trial  that  he  had  shirked  the 
battles  of  the  revolution  by  feigning  sickness.  This 
teasing  does  not  appear  to  have  sweetened  him  at 
all. 

But  the  hardest  blow  of  all  came  when  the  study 
of  the  English  language  was  introduced  into  his 
native  town,  quite  drawing  away  all  his  own  pupils. 
It  was  bad  enough  to  be  plagued  with  the  foreign 
customs  that  were  being  gradually  innovated,  but 
to  lose  his  means  of  support  by  the  introduction  of 
the  barbarian  literature,  was  a  stroke  beyond  his 
endurance.  Starvation  or  manual  labor  seemed  to 
be  the  only  choice.  He  would  face  neither!  He 
would  go  to  some  of  the  Treaty  Ports  and  slay  one 
of  these  interloping  dogs,  and  then  die,  producing 
a  sensation  at  least.  He  would  thus  escape  a  long 
life  of  drudgery  and  poverty ;  his  town's-folk  would 
regard  him  as  a  patriot, — a  true,  old-style  lover  of 
his  country, — and  he  would  be  able  to  redeem  his 
not  very  brilliant  reputation  as  a  warrior.  The 
idea  took  complete  possession  of  him,  and  he  re- 
solved to  carry  it  out.  His  entire  worldly  posses- 
sions, when  turned  into  money,  amounted  to  thir- 
teen dollars.  With  this  in  his  pocket,  and  his 
sword  in  his  belt,  he  embarked  on  a  junk  bound  for 
Hakodate.  Nobody  appears  to  have  been  aware  of 
his  intention. 

Arriving  at  his  destination  in  due  course  of  sail- 
ing, he  took  up  his  quarters  in  a  hotel  in  the  native 
part  of  the  town.     On  the  following  day  he  saw  a 


I  04  LET  TERS  FROM  J  A  PA  N. 

large,  bearded  foreigner  walking  in  the  streets.  As 
he  carried  a  stout  walking-stick,  however,  opera- 
tions were  postponed.  On  the  next  day  he  saw 
several  more,  but  he  considered  the  odds  of  war 
still  doubtful,  as  they  were  provided  with  um- 
brellas. On  the  third  day  he  went  up  to  the  temple 
of  the  god  of  war  to  propitiate  success.  This 
temple  is  situated  some  distance  up  the  mountain 
side,  and  commands  a  superb  view  for  many  miles 
of  all  the  roads  leading  out  of  Hakodate.  His 
case  was  desperate,  for  he  had  spent  all  his  money 
in  debauch.  He  had  nerved  himself  up  for  his 
work  with  abundance  of  rice-beer  or  whiskey.  If 
you  were  to  stand  beside  the  swarded  embankment 
that  bounds  the  courtyard  of  this  temple,  your  eye 
would  follow  the  winding  road  that  leads  out  of  the 
city,  up  by  the  temple,  and,  then  turning  to  the 
right,  passes  through  a  lonely  hedged  lane  down 
toward  the  desolate  sea-coast.  About  half-past  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  little  man — minus  um- 
brella or  cane — walked  briskly  down  the  road  and 
entered  the  fatal  lane.  But  our  warrior  has  al- 
ready spied  his  victim.  He  waits  until  he  has 
turned  the  angle,  and  then  follows.  From  his  own 
confessions,  it  appears  that  he  had  some  doubts  as 
to  whether  this  was  a  genuine  foreigner  or  simply 
a  native  dressed  in  foreign  style.  He  therefore 
asked  two  women  whether  that  man  they  had  just 
passed  was  a  Japanese  or  not.  One  said  "Yes;" 
the  other,  "  No."  He  then  went  nearer  and  flung 
his  umbrella  at  the  doubtful  party  so  as  to  get  him 


A    TRAGEDY.  IO5 

to  turn  around.  The  gentleman  turned  and  re- 
proved him  for  his  rudeness,  and  then  went  on. 
The  dastard  instantly  unsheathed  his  sword  and 
gave  a  fearful  downward  cut  upon  the  shoulder, 
close  up  to  the  neck.  Then  the  little  German  ran 
down  the  lane  some  two  hundred  yards,  and,  push- 
ing open  a  heavy  gate  in  the  hedge,  ran  up  the  hill- 
side some  distance.  He  then  fell  on  his  face  in  a 
garlic  patch,  either  from  loss  of  blood  or  from  trip- 
ping in  a  sunken  tub  containing  manure  for  the 
garden.  The  pursuer  was  instantly  upon  him  and 
hacked  him  to  pieces,  cleaving  his  head  into  four 
parts,  severing  both  arms  at  the  elbows,  both  legs 
at  the  knees,  and  inflicting  frightful  gashes  all  over 
the  body.  It  was  the  common  talk  in  Hakodate 
that  he  left  a  mark  for  each  year  of  his  own  age, — 
twenty- three.  He  then  ordered  the  terrified  gar- 
dener out  of  his  house  to  dash  a  bucket  of  water 
over  the  mangled  mass,  in  order  to  see  if  life  were 
wholly  extinct, — as  if,  indeed,  there  could  be  any 
doubt !  He  then  commanded  the  trembling  man 
to  hand  him  the  watch  and  chain  belonging  to  his 
victim,  refusing  to  defile  his  own  touch.  It  was 
now  well  past  twilight,  and  he  went  and  delivered 
himself  up  to  the  authorities.  He  was  instantly 
bound.  The  candles  were  lit  in  the  court-room, 
the  judges  took  their  seats,  and  the  trial  began. 
The  sword,  which  was  so  bent  as  to  be  ruined,  was 
handed  over  for  safe  keeping.  Crazed  with  liquor 
and  frenzy,  the  fellow  began  rapidly  to  tell  his 
story.     The  gods  had  appeared  unto  him  in  por- 


I06  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

tentous  dreams  and  had  urged  him  to  slay  foreign- 
ers. In  accordance  with  these  behests,  he  had 
formed  the  resolve  to  exterminate  the  entire  alien 
breed  within  the  four  seas  of  the  realm.  He  had 
begun  on  Hakodate,  intending,  after  having  thor- 
oughly purged  that  polluted  hole,  to  visit  the  other 
ports  with  his  cleansing  brand.  The  visions  gave 
him  no  peace.  While  praying  at  the  shrine  of  the 
god  of  war  that  afternoon,  the  gods  singled  out  his 
victim  and  delivered  him  into  his  hands.  He  wildly 
gloried  over  the  deed,  his  fierce  eyes  flashing  with 
hate.  He  abused  all  foreigners  in  unlimited  terms, 
but  was  peremptorily  ordered  to  desist  by  the 
judges.  Somewhat  surprised,  he  became  subdued 
and  sullen.  After  the  examination  had  been  con- 
cluded he  was  locked  up  for  the  night. 

The  trial  continued  for  several  weeks.  The  next 
day  the  fellow  repeated  his  story  with  considerable 
enthusiasm.  He  appeared  utterly  indifferent  as  to 
consequences.  His  manner  conveyed  the  impres- 
sion that  he  thought  the  judges  would  highly  ap- 
prove of  his  conduct  after  having  heard  his  expla- 
nations. But  when  the  judge  coolly  informed  him 
that  not  a  word  of  his  story  relating  to  the  visions 
had  been  believed,  the  devoted  patriot  assumed  an 
air  of  insulted  indifference.  He  denied  having  any 
accomplices.  He  refused  to  answer  any  questions 
about  his  previous  history.  The  court  then  ad- 
journed until  a  dose  of  torture  had  unsealed  his 
lips.  The  method  of  torture  is  very  painful.  The 
culprit  kneels  upon  the  blunt  edges  of  half-a-dozen 


A    TRAGEDY.  IO7 

wooden  blades.  Heavy  slabs  of  stone  are  then 
laid  across  his  lap.  The  knees  are  thus  crushed 
and  the  blades  are  forced  through  his  shins  gradu- 
ally. In  the  meantime  he  is  beaten  with  sticks 
covered  with  cord. 

In  appearance,  the  assassin  was  tall  and  athletic. 
His  forehead  was  low.  Beneath  leered  a  pair  of 
snake-like  eyes.  His  nostrils  were  broad  and  flat. 
The  thick,  licentious  lips  had  a  sulky  expression, 
betokening  a  passionate  and  revengeful  disposition. 

As  the  news  flashed  through  the  Settlement  that 
evening,  it  was  paralyzing.  I  was  dining  with  a 
friend  of  mine,  and  the  report  came  that  the  Ger- 
man Consul  had  cut  his  throat  at  a  tea-house  in  a 
fit  of  insanity.  All  manner  of  rumors  went  around. 
The  timid  ones  saw  a  complicated  conspiracy  to 
exterminate  foreigners,  and  slipped  their  revolvers 
into  their  pockets;  and  the  knowing  ones  confi- 
dently intimated  that  some  Akitah  merchants,  hav- 
ing come  out  of  the  little  end  of  the  horn  in  a  busi- 
ness transaction  with  the  Consul,  had  selected  a 
fanatic  as  an  instrument  for  revenge. 

The  assassin  was  finally  sentenced  to  degradation 
from  his  rank  as  a  samurai,  and  to  decapitation. 
The  sentence  was  carried  out  in  the  harshest  man- 
ner possible.  Only  about  half  an  hour  elapsed  be- 
tween sentence  and  execution.  He  attempted  to 
say  something  to  the  judge,  but  was  unceremoni- 
ously hustled  out  of  the  room.  He  then  requested 
permission  to  write  a  letter  to  his  family.  Permis- 
sion was  withheld.     Finally,  he  requested  the  exe- 


I08  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

cutioners  to  make  a  clean  job  of  it  and  not  haggle. 
Even  this  request  appears  to  have  been  intention- 
ally ignored.  One  sword  struck  across  his  shoul- 
ders. As  he  fell  over  on  his  face,  the  second  blow 
came  down  upon  the  back  of  his  head.  One  of  the 
executioners  then  grasped  him  by  the  hair  of  the 
head  and  cut  his  throat.  The  head  does  not  ap- 
pear to  have  left  his  body.  He  was  not  executed, 
but  ignominiously  butchered — perhaps  a  fitting 
punishment  for  a  dastardly  attack  upon  an  inoffen- 
sive stranger  from  whom  the  slightest  provocation 
had  never  been  received.  The  only  foreign  specta- 
tors of  this  closing  scene  were  the  American,  Eng- 
lish, and  Danish  Consuls.  From  beginning  to  end 
the  deportment  of  the  culprit  was  defiantly  cool. 
He  never  flinched,  nor  showed  the  least  signs  of 
terror,  although  a  sickly  attempt  was  made  to  start 
a  sentimental  tale  of  final  collapse  of  pluck  just  at 
the  last  moment.  He  died  as  the  majority  of 
criminals  die. 

And  now  I  hear  you  asking  whether  such  cases 
are  common ;  whether  or  not  this  occurrence  is 
likely  to  be  repeated?  To  which  I  reply  that  such 
cases  are  not  common,  and  that  I  think  it  will 
never  be  repeated.  Although  there  are  many  in 
the  interior  that  bear  no  good  will  toward  the 
foreigner,  yet  few  will  be  found  to  face  so  igno- 
minious an  ordeal.  It  is  but  just  to  remark  that 
the  majority  of  samurai  are  highly  mortified  at 
this  affair.  There  is  considerable  chivalry  among 
the  respectable  members  of  this  class,  and  these 


A    TRAGEDY.  IO9 

notions  of  feudal  honor  will  always  act  as  a  retard- 
ing force.  During  the  last  decade,  assassinations 
were  quite  frequent.  In  some  cases  a  conservative 
Daimio  would  order  a  retainer  to  steal  off  to  a 
treaty  port  and  kill  a  foreigner  in  order  to  annoy 
the  Shogun  and  bring  on  a  complication  with  some 
foreign  power  wherein  opportunity  might  be  pre- 
sented for  overturning  the  Shogunate  and  expelling 
all  aliens.  In  such  cases,  although  the  deed  might 
be  cowardly,  yet  the  delegated  party  was  bound  by 
the  highest  sense  of  honor  to  carry  out  the  injunc- 
tions of  his  lord  at  all  hazards.  Another  frequent 
cause  of  assassination  resulted  from  a  certain  over- 
bearing superciliousness  on  the  part  of  a  certain 
portion  of  our  community  that  I  forbear  designat- 
ing by  name.  A  quarrel  at  a  brothel  over  a  favorite 
girl  has,  on  one  occasion  at  least,  led  to  slashes. 
Had  foreigners  been  all  they  ought  to  have  been, 
from  their  first  entry  into  Japan,  the  record  of 
bloodshed  would  be  less  humiliating  to  contem- 
plate. 

But  times  are  changed.  Daimios  no  longer  com- 
mand hundreds  of  devoted  -desperados.  The  cus- 
toms of  outside  nations  have  become  better  un- 
derstood. And  the  isolated  fanatic,  deprived  of 
the  moral  support  of  a  sympathizing  clan,  and  find- 
ing but  scanty  inspiration  from  the  ancient  legends 
that  are  ignored  by  his  companions  who  now  ad- 
mire the  foreign  literature,  must  eke  out  his  inspired 
motives  from  some  extraordinary  source  before  he 
will  venture  upon  the  career  of  an   assassin.     In 


no  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAM. 

addition  to  this,  the  Japanese  Government  now 
frowns  so  severely  upon  this  custom,  and  takes 
such  extreme  measures  in  degrading  the  assassins, 
that  there  will  be  few  who  will  venture  to  brood 
over  such  schemes.  Formerly  an  assassin  was 
allowed  to  retain  his  rank,  and  he  was  also  allowed 
to  perform  the  hara-kiri  before  having  his  head 
taken  off.  The  government  has  now  issued  decrees 
over  the  whole  empire  threatening  to  visit  such 
offenses  with  the  heaviest  penalties.  This  settles 
the  question,  for  this  now  makes  this  species  of 
gaining  notoriety  decidedly  unpopular. 

Truly  yours, 
Theophilus  Pratt. 


.TKEF.T   SCENE    IN    HIKOSAKI. 


LETTER   VIII. 

A  FEW   REMINISCENCES. 

HiROSAKi,  November  lo,  1874. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus  : 

I  HAVE  been  much  amused  lately  by  the  proceed- 
ings of  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  who  has  recently 
come  to  Hirosaki.  As  I  think  the  facts  in  the 
case  will  be  interesting  to  you,  I  present  them  in 
full. 

Some  weeks  ago  I  was  sitting  in  my  room,  when 
the  directors  and  several  of  my  senior  pupils  were 
ushered  in.  They  appeared  to  be  in  considerable 
trepidation  and  excitement.  It  was  some  time  be- 
fore I  could  get  a  connected  story.  I  finally  made 
out  that  a  Jesuit  priest  had  entered  the  city  and 
intended  to  commence  proselyting.  Now,  to  you, 
this  statement  may  seem  harmless  enough.  But  I 
can  assure  you  that  it  was  a  startling  episode  here. 
The  Japanese  have  by  no  means  a  pleasant  recol- 
lection of  the  Jesuits.  They  can  well  recall  how, 
some  three  centuries  ago,  a  company  of  these 
priests  came  with  petitions  and  humble  manners; 
how  they  ingratiated  themselves  with  the  Daimios 
of  Kiushiu  and  gained  a  favorable  hearing  at  court ; 


112  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

how,  as  they  rapidly  increased  in  wealth  and  num- 
bers, they  changed  their  tones  from  meek  request 
to  arrogant  demand,  daring  even  to  ignore  the  will 
of   the  great  Hid^yosh'i,  the  generalissimo  of  the 
realm  ;  how,  as  years  of  prosperity  increased  their 
pride,  they  defied  the  government,  built  churches 
in  Kioto  against  the  imperial   decrees,  and  taught 
the  people  to  disobey  their  rulers  and  give  alle- 
giance to  a  foreign  potentate  at  Rome  ;  how  they 
bitterly  persecuted   the   Buddhist ;    how    they    re- 
sisted   the   temporal    authority    and    plunged    the 
nation  into  a  frightful  civil  war ;  and  how,  before 
the  obstinate  sect  could  be  extirpated,  it  became 
necessary  to  swell  the  royal  ranks  to  a  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  warriors,  and  forty  thousand  lives 
had  to  be  sacrificed.     You  can  hardly  wonder  that 
a  storm  of  fear  and  hate  sweeps  through  the  native 
breast  when  such  facts  are  recalled.     It  is  from  the 
Jesuits   that  the  Japanese  gained  their    ideas   of 
Christianity.     And   it   is  the  Jesuits  we  have    to 
thank  for  the  closing  of  the  country  so  long  to 
civilization.     You    can    now    readily  see  why  the 
advent  of  this  priest  caused  such  a  stir  among  the 
authorities.     To  their  imaginations,  this  individual 
possessed   some  power  by  which  he  could  gain  a 
hold  upon  the  ignorant  and  the  superstitious  people 
of  the  town.     If  he  were  to  make  a  disturbance  in 
the  town  the  displeasure  of  the  government  might 
be  visited  upon  them.     The  case  was  a  novel  one 
and  left  the  authorities  involved  in  inextricable  be- 
wilderment.     But    what    brought    the    fellow   to 


A    FEW  REMINISCENCES.  I  1 3 

Hirosaki  in  particular,  said  I  ?  A  very  interesting 
disclosure  was  the  result  of  this  question. 

It  appeared  that  a  low-grade  samurai  had  left 
Hirosaki  and  had  gone  to  Tokio  soon  after  the 
revolution.  He  was  shrewd  and  calculating,  and 
was  seeking  to  better  his  financial  condition.  In 
Tokio  he  ran  across  this  priest.  He  soon  became 
a  proselyte.  He  was  keen  enough  to  detect  here  a 
fair  method  of  gaining  a  livelihood  with  but  little 
exertion.  Now  the  fathers  were  on  the  outlook  for 
a  good  opportunity  for  gaining  a  foothold  in  the 
interior.  Here  was  the  chance.  The  young  con- 
vert could  be  immediately  available.  Application 
was  made  to  the  government  for  a  passport  to  per- 
mit Mr.  A.  to  teach  English  in  the  Toogu-Gakko  in 
Hirosaki.  The  man  was  a  Frenchman  and  under- 
stood almost  nothing  of  English.  But  what  mat- 
tered that?  He  was  a  foreigner,  and  the  proselyte 
testified  that  he .  had  been  engaged  to  teach  in 
Hirosaki.  That  was  sufficient.  The  passport  drawn 
up  for  a  six  months*  sojourn  was  duly  delivered, 
and  the  couple  started  off  overland.  You  can  well 
imagine  the  surprise  of  the  directors  to  receive  a 
notification  from  Tokio  informing  them  that  their 
teacher  had  started  out  and  would  be  due  in  about 
twenty  days.  The  communication  was  profoundly 
mysterious  to  them.  After  a  long  discussion  they 
wrote  back  that  there  must  be  some  mistake,  for 
they  already  had  their  teacher. 

In  due  time  Mr.  A.  arrived  and  took  up  his 
quarters  in  a  hotel  on  the  main  street.     The  au- 


I  14  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

thorities  called  upon  him  and  informed  him  that  he 
must  instantly  return.  He  presented  his  pass. 
"  Oh  !  but  you  obtained  it  upon  a  false  statement  of 
facts,"  was  the  reply.  **  I  shall  not  say  how  it  was 
obtained,"  said  he,  '*  but  there  is  the  legal  permit  to 
stay  here  six  months.  And  in  this  paper  the  govern- 
ment commands  that  I  be  treated  with  all  courtesy 
and  due  respect.  It  is  not  for  you  to  go  back  of  the 
passport  and  send  me  back.  That  is  for  the 
government  to  do."  Here  was  a  dilemma  indeed  ! 
In  vain  did  they  endeavor  to  extricate  themselves. 
And  so  they  spent  many  weeks  in  corresponding 
with  head-quarters,  smoking  innumerable  pipes  of 
tobacco,  and  holding  consultations  with  the  other 
teacher,  who  puzzled  them  sorely  by  advising  that 
the  father  be  sent  back  regardless  of  passport. 

In  the  meantime  the  fellow  had  rented  a  house, 
and  ^yent  around  calling  on  his  neighbors.  He 
gave  medical  advice.  How  much  he  knew  about 
doctoring  I  am  unable  to  say.  In  this  way  he  in- 
sinuated himself  into  quite  a  large  circle  of  ac- 
quaintances. All  this  time  he  did  not  openly  de- 
clare his  real  profession.  He  wore  citizen's  cloth- 
ing. His  servants,  however,  let  out  the  fact  that 
he  was  a  Jesuit  priest.  His  intrusive  impudence 
knew  no  bounds.  He  visited  our  school  and  gave 
advice  about  teaching  English.  He  button  holed 
the  scholars  and  talked  about  foreign  literature. 
He  told  the  directors  that  I  was  not  going  to  re- 
turn from  Hakodate.  Much  to  the  consternation 
of  the  directors  he   called  upon  me  one  Sunday 


A   FEW  REMINISCENCES.  II5 

morning.  I  was  taking  my  bath.  I  could  hear 
him  in  noisy  dispute  with  the  scholars  in  the  audi- 
ence room.  One  of  them  had  been  converted  in 
Yokohama  by  a  Protestant  missionary.  He  began 
operations  upon  him  in  the  vernacular:  "  So,  you 
are  a  Christian,  eh  ?  Don't  you  know,  my  friend, 
that  you  are  breaking  the  laws  of  your  country  by 
doing  this?  Don't  you  know  your  head  is  the  for- 
feit of  your  act  ?  " 

Scholar :  "  Ah !  But  that  is  the  ancient  law 
against  Roman  Catholicism,  which  was  mistaken 
for  true  Christianity.     But " 

Priest :  "  Hold  on  !  Not  so  fast !  There  are  no 
'  buts  '  in  the  case.  You  forget  that,  although  the 
edicts  have  been  taken  down  from  the  public  gaze, 
yet  the  laws  have  not  been  repealed.  Therefore 
you  are  under  penalty  of  death." 

Scholar :  "  But  the  laws  were  made  against 
the  corrupt  Roman  Catholic  Christianity,  not 
against  the  pure  Protestant  Christianity.  There- 
fore  " 

Priest :  "  Now,  just  wait  a  moment !  You  must 
not  display  such  ignorance  upon  so  important  a 
subject.  Even  if  the  edicts  had  been  more  directly 
leveled  at  Roman  Catholic  Christianity,  yet  they 
were  not  specifically  so  worded  and  promulgated 
to  that  effect.  They  were  sweeping  decrees  against 
all  Christians.  Now,  the  Protestants  are  also 
Christians,  and  must  come  under  the  exterminat- 
ing clause  of  the  decree,  as  well  as  the  Roman 
Catholics.      And   although   the   edicts   have    been 


I  1 6  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

taken  down,  the  government  is  still  silent  on  the 
point,  and  makes  no  public  repeal  and  no  public 
discrimination  between  Protestants  and  Catholics. 
Therefore  you  are  unprotected." 

My  entrance  interrupted  this  conversation. 
The  man  evidently  possessed  great  cunning  and 
adroitness.  Although  dressed  in  citizen's  clothing, 
his  leering  eyes  and  sneering  lips  reminded  one  of 
the  ideal  inquisitor.  His  English  was  barely  intel- 
ligible. Nevertheless,  he  launched  forth  into  the 
most  enthusiastic  conversation.  He  made  partic- 
ular inquiries  about  cooking  arrangements.  Would 
it  be  too  much  to  request  the  loan  of  monsieur's 
boy  for  a  few  days,  in  order  to  instruct  his  own 
boy,  who  knew  absolutely  nothing  about  cooking  ? 
The  impossibility  of  the  inspired  subject  in  mon- 
sieur's happy  possession  being  able  to  give  any  in- 
struction was  then  discussed.  Was  monsieur  an 
Englishman?  No  ?  Ah  !  An  American  !  America 
was  a  cold  country,  and  had  a  sparse  population, 
he  had  been  informed.  By  the  way,  he  had  a  friend 
over  there.  Possibly  monsieur  might  be  acquainted 
with  him.  He  lives  in  Panama.  Thus  we  con- 
versed. The  directors  felt  positively  relieved  when 
he  took  his  leave.  They  plainly  did  not  wish  any 
intimacy  to  spring  up  between  us. 

All  the  strenuous  efforts  of  the  Hirosaki  authori- 
ties to  get  rid  of  him  seemed  to  be  fruitless.  He 
was  an  elephant  on  their  hands.  He  was  asked 
how  long  he  intended  to  stay.  He  replied  that  it 
would  probably  be  all  his  life.     It  was  then  ordered 


A   FEW  REMINISCENCES.  II7 

that  he  should  hand  in  a  written  account  of  him- 
self, specifying  where  he  came  from,  what  his  occu- 
pation was,  and  what  he  purposed  doing  in  the 
city.  To  which  he  wrote  that  he  came  from  a 
French  province.  For  proof  of  this  he  referred 
them  to  a  specified  page  of  the  register  at  the 
French  Consulate  in  Yokohama.  As  to  his  occu- 
pation, that  had  been  sufficiently  specified  in  his 
passport.  And  as  to  what  his  future  movements 
might  be,  he  was  unable  at  the  present  juncture  to 
definitely  state.  This  harmless  reply  was  all  they 
could  get  from  him.  It  was  finally  agreed  to  wait 
till  the  expiration  of  his  pass,  and  then  send  him 
home.  But  Jesuitical  cunning  was  quite  equal  to 
the  emergency.  About  two  months  before  his 
time  was  to  expire  he  made  arrangements  to  teach 
chemistry  in  some  obscure  school  in  the  city.  His 
salary  was  to  be  one  hundred  dollars  per  month. 
And  he  was  to  pay  it  out  of  his  own  pocket !  Two 
or  three  persons  were  then  posted  down  to  Tokio 
to  make  the  arrangements.  Of  course  there  could 
not  be  the  slightest  chance  of  success.  But  the 
time  spent  in  going  overland  and  in  protracting  the 
negotiations  would  take  him  much  beyond  his  time. 
When  notified  that  his  pass  had  expired,  he  would 
reply  that  he  was  negotiating  another  agreement, 
and  must  remain  for  some  definite  answer.  In  fact, 
•he  had  it  in  his  power  to  protract  his  stay  to  an 
almost  unlimited  period.  Sometimes  it  was  an 
agreement  for  teaching  chemistry.  Sometimes  it 
would    be    for    surgery.     Sometimes    astronomy. 


I  1 8  LETTERS  PROM  JAPAN. 

Truly  the   man  thoroughly  understood  the  weak 
side  of  Japanese  character. 

Now,  to  you,  brought  up  amid  our  free  institu- 
tions, it  will  appear  utterly  incomprehensible  why 
a  body  of  public-spirited  citizens  did  not  wait  upon 
the  obnoxious  brother,  some  dark  night,  and  show 
him  the  inside  of  a  tar  barrel.  But  you  must  bear 
in  mind  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  individual 
public  action  in  this  land.  The  people  look  to  the 
government  to  do  everything.  It  is  the  govern- 
ment that  builds  the  railroads,  puts  up  telegraphs, 
runs  steamers,  directs  labor,  makes  farms,  intro- 
duces machinery,  imports  cattle,  makes  all  improve- 
ments, starts  schools,  and  sends  students  abroad. 
It  will  be  difficult  to  find  what  the  people  do  not 
expect  the  government  to  do.  The  simple  reason 
is,  that  the  people  are  hardly  able  yet  to  do  these 
things  for  themselves.  Besides  this,  the  govern- 
ment does  not  yet  feel  safe  in  trusting  too  much 
power  with  the  people.  The  agents  of  the  gov- 
ernment, in  the  shape  of  Yakunins,  transact  all 
business  of  a  public  nature.  Such  a  thing  as  the 
people  sending  a  stray  sheep  back  to  treaty-limits 
would  be  an  unheard-of  assumption  of  executive 
power,  utterly  bewildering  to  contemplate.  This 
country  has  yet  to  learn  our  decisive  methods  of 
severing  complicated  festoons  of  red  tape.  In  the 
northern  portion  of  the  empire,  in  particular,  the- 
people  are  backward  about  assuming  any  responsi- 
bility in  public  matters.  Being  distant  from  the 
central  power,  they  are  watched   very  jealously. 


A   FEW  REMINISCENCES. 


119 


Therefore,  for  five  or  six  stout  citizens  to  bind  the 
reverend  gentleman,  neck  and  heels,  and  post  him 
off  in  a  kago  (sort  of  palankeen)  for  Tokio,  would 
be  a  combination  of  officiousness  and  hardihood, 
the  bare  mention  of  which  would  daze  the  average 
native  imagination.  A  native  up  here  shrinks  from 
assuming  responsibility  in  such  matters.  An  indi- 
vidual reckless  enough  to  assume  it  would  be  an 
anomaly.  The  people  are  simply  to  implicitly  obey 
orders.  A  subordinate  must  be  a  machine  incapa- 
ble of  subjective  volition  as  regards  taking  the  in- 
itiative in  public  action.  He  must  give  absolute 
deference  to  the  commands  of  his  superior.  Bad 
luck  to  him  should  he  presume  to  modify  orders 
with  individual  opinions.  In  the  native  mind, 
obedience  is  the  consummation  of  duty.  Diso- 
bedience is  a  most  serious  offense.  These  two 
points  have  been  drilled  into  their  very  being.  As 
a  child,  obey  your  parents,  even  though  by  so 
doing  you  be  bartered  away  to  lead  a  life  of  shame 
in  the  brothels  of  the  Yoshiwara ;  as  a  wife,  obey 
your  husband,  even  though  he  be  unreasonable  and 
cruel  in  his  conduct ;  as  a  servant, your  master;  as 
a  vassal,  you  lord,  even  unto  death,  for  this  is  the 
most  commendable  of  acts ;  as  a  younger  brother, 
your  elder  brother.  And  this  not  with  mere  half- 
way obedience,  but  absolute,  that  asks  no  ques- 
tions. 

You  can,  therefore,  easily  perceive  how,  when  a 
case  of  unusual  nature  arises — a  case  that  does  not 
chance  to  be  covered  by  the  specifications — great 


I  20  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

perplexity  ensues.  The  Yakunin  easily  comes  to 
his  wits'  ends,  not  because  he  fails  to  see  what 
ought  to  be  done,  but  because  he  trembles  to  as- 
sume authority,  lest  he  lay  himself  open  to  the 
charge  of  insubordination  or  carelessness.  He,  there- 
fore, holds  long  consultations  with  his  colleagues, 
and  finally  sends  a  letter  to  head-quarters  begging 
for  further  instructions.  So  long  as  he  implicitly 
obeys  every  word  of  command  he  has  but  little  cause 
to  fear.  I  will,  at  this  point,  give  you  a  character- 
istic story  told  me  by  one  of  the  scholars.  A  Dai- 
mio  ordered  one  of  his  generals  to  make  a  particular 
disposition  of  his  forces,  and  to  attack  the  enemy 
at  a  given  point  on  a  specified  day.  The  general, 
however,  seeing  that  disaster  would  result  if  the 
plans  were  carried  out,  saw  fit  to  make  his  own  dis- 
position of  the  forces,  attack  the  enemy  after  his 
own  fashion,  and  thereby  gained  the  victory.  But 
in  so  doing  he  had  deliberately  disobeyed.  And  on 
his  return,  as  he  bowed  his  head  down  to  the  tata- 
mis  in  presenting  his  respects,  his  enraged  lord  held 
his  head  down,  and  beat  him  with  his  clenched  fist. 
And  this  was  considered  mild  punishment  ! 

Centuries  of  such  training  have  produced  a  uni- 
versal disposition  to  shirk  responsibility.  In  this 
country  a  man  who  can  act  decisively,  and  can  suc- 
cessfully amalgamate  orders  with  a  discreet  amount 
of  individual  opinion,  is  a  genius.  Now  in  the  case 
of  this  priest  the  regular  course  of  action  would 
have  been  for  the  officers  to  have  arrested  the  ad- 
venturous apostle,  and  to  have  handed  him  over  to 


A   FEW  REMINISCENCES.  121 

the  mayor  of  the  city.  He  would  then  have  sent 
him  to  the  Governor  of  Awomori,  who  in  turn 
would  have  forwarded  the  parcel,  right  side  up  with 
care,  to  Tokio  by  steamer.  But,  zounds !  The  man 
held  a  passport  from  the  emperor !  True,  it  had 
been  obtained  under  false  pretenses,  but  the  man 
puzzled  them  by  his  cool  and  defiant  attitude.  The 
case  was  a  novel  one.  The  officers,  fearing  to 
make  an  arrest  that  might  precipitate  a  diplomatic 
complication,  referred  the  matter  to  the  mayor. 
The  mayor  referred  it  to  the  governor,  and  the 
governor  appealed  to  Tokio.  And  Tokio  hesitates 
to  make  an  arrest,  per  force,  because  it  would  be 
mortifying  to  make  a  public  exposure  of  the  fact 
that  a  foreigner  had  thus  *'  done  "  the  government 
out  of  a  passport.  And  then  a  disclosure  might 
imply  that  there  had  been  careless  management  in 
the  Foreign  Office;  and  this  might  make  it  very 
disagreeable  for  some  high  Yakunin  in  that  depart- 
ment, who  (I  suspect)  clogs  the  whole  transaction 
by  trying  to  hush  up  the  affair.  So  his  Grace,  the 
governor,  waits  for  definite  orders.  The  mayor  re- 
fuses to  act  without  them.  And  the  badgered  officers 
assume  an  air  of  indifference,  wash  their  hands  of 
the  entire  matter,  and  mechanically  wait  for  further 
developments.  While  the  people,  with  a  mixture 
of  astonishment  at  the  audacity  that  dares  to  beard 
a  Yakunin  in  his  den,  and  a  strong  feeling  of  admir- 
ing curiosity  at  having  a  foreigner  to  study  at 
leisure,  look  on  with  a  morbid  sang  froid  that 
drives  a  republican  half  wild.     And  so  the  matter 


122  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

hangs.  The  Jesuit  in  the  meantime  is  making  him- 
self perfectly  at  home.  He  calls  on  his  neighbors; 
distributes  medicine  to  invalids;  teaches  English  ; 
and  preaches  to  small  gatherings  at  his  house. 
How  long  he  can  successfully  play  his  game  I  can- 
not say.*  I  don't  think  the  government  will  ever 
let  another  one  slip  off  in  this  manner. 

As  this  letter  seems  to  be  composed  mostly  of 
anecdotes,  I  will  conclude  with  one  giving  the  ex- 
perience of  an  eccentric  friend  of  my  acquaintance. 
It  shows  how  far  a  foreigner  with  a  bold  front  can 
browbeat  the  natives.  And  this  story  is  very  char- 
acteristic of  a  certain  class  of  bullying  Saxons  that 
one  meets  in  Japan.  Mr.  B.  was  ver>^  fond  of  ram- 
bling over  the  country.  On  one  occasion  he  hap- 
pened to  stray  beyond  treaty  limits.  Not  in  the 
least  disturbed  at  this  occurrence  he  took  up  his 
quarters  in  a  hotel,  and  ordered  a  bath.  The  land- 
lord asked  him  to  show  his  passport.  Of  course, 
he  had  none.  He  said,  however,  as  the  exigencies 
of  the  case  did  not  seem  to  be  imperative,  he  would 
spend  the  night  in-  the  hotel,  and  return  to 
treaty  limits  in  the  morning.  This  satisfied  the 
landlord.  Our  friend  then  went  down  to  the  bath. 
But  he  was  much  surprised  to  find  it  occupied  by  a 
strapping  samurai.  Our  friend  then  told  him  in 
language  more  forcible  than  elegant  to  *'  piggy " 
out  of  that.  The  man  replied  that  he  was  quite 
willing  to  remain  where  he  was,  as  he  felt  quite  equal 

*  lie  remained  nearly  two  years,  and  then  left  of  his  own  accord. 


A   FEW  REMINISCENCES. 


123 


to  the  position,  and,  moreover,  had  not  yet  finished 
his  ablutions.  The  gestures  and  tone  of  our  irasci- 
ble friend  now  became  so  offensive  that  the  recipi- 
ent thereof  bounced  out  of  the  steaming  tub,  and 
rushed  forward  with  the  avowed  intent  of  chastising 
the  intruder.  But  about  three  feet  off  he  was  met 
by  a  left-hander  under  the  chin,  which  caused  him 
to  step  back  through  the  shojees  into  the  next 
room  with  a  rapidity  of  motion  that  could  hardly 
be  characterized  as  graceful — an  abrupt  proceeding 
that  terrified  in  no  inconsiderable  manner  two  old 
women  who  chanced  to  be  there  watching  the  prog- 
ress of  the  misunderstanding  through  the  crevices 
of  said  shojees.  As  the  victim  showed  no  disposi- 
tion to  come  after  his  soap  and  clothing  our  friend 
pitched  them  out  after  him ;  for  the  stage  at  which 
he  had  arrived  in  the  arrangement  of  his  toilet  when 
interrupted  could  hardly  have  been  designated  as 
presentable  to  the  condoling  crowd  of  sympathiz- 
ing acquaintances  gathering  around  him  outside. 
Our  friend  then  occupied  the  field  of  combat.  He 
barricaded  the  doors,  and  spread  himself  out  in  the 
domain  so  lately  occupied,  and  so  hastily  abdicated 
by  the  unhappy  predecessor.  After  bathing  to  his 
heart's  content,  as  he  was  going  up  to  his  room  he 
saw  quite  a  crowd  in  the  yard  listening  to  the  ex- 
planation of  the  man  who  hadn't  time  to  finish  his 
bath,  and  who  appeared  to  be  illustrating  his  points 
with  considerable  warmth.  Soon  after  the  landlord 
came  upstairs  in  considerable  trepidation,  and  said 
that  the  samurai  (who,  by  the  way,  was  a  Yakunin 


124  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

from  the  next  village)  had  found  out  that  the  for- 
eigner had  no  passport,  and  that  he  was  going  to 
have  him  carried  back  to  treaty  limits  that  same 
night.  Our  friend  said  that  he  would  see  about 
that.  He  ordered  up  two  hebachis  (braziers),  with 
pots  of  boiling  water. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  heard  steps  on  the  stairs. 
Presently  about  a  score  of  holes  were  punched 
through  the  shojees  and  as  many  sparkling  eyes 
looked  through.  A  through  reconnoisance,  how- 
ever, of  the  premises  seemed  to  convince  the  out- 
siders that  a  six-footer,  stripped  down  to  a  pair  of 
drawers  and  a  pair  of  invulnerable  hob-nailed  dry- 
docks,  and  armed  with  a  ladle  and  two  pots  of 
scalding  water,  was  not  the  most  eligible  bellig- 
erent that  the  occasion  called  for.  So  they  retired 
for  further  discussion  on  the  ways  and  means  of 
capturing  the  Philistine.  And  Mr.  B.  finished 
his  dressing.  As  the  crowd  below  began  to  be  a 
source  of  annoyance,  he  went  down  in  a  high 
temper.  He  fiercely  demanded  what  they  wanted. 
They  said  he  had  no  passport  and  must  return  to 
treaty  limits  instantly.  He  then  demanded  if  there 
was  any  one  in  the  crowd  authorized  by  the  gov- 
ernment to  take  him  back.  To  which  answer  was 
made  that  there  was  not.  "  And  who  is  that  big 
samurai  making  all  this  row  ?  "  "  Oh !  He  is  a 
Yakunin  from  the  next  village."  "  Then,"  said  Mr. 
B.,  "why  is  he  making  all  this  disturbance?  I 
must  report  him  at  Tokio.  What  is  his  name?" 
But  the  fellow  had  vanished  like  smoke  !     If  you 


A   FEW  REMINISCENCES.  I  25 

had  looked  down  the  next  street  you  would  have 
seen  him,  clogs  in  hand,  racing  for  the  next  village, 
utterly  oblivious  of  the  fact  that  he  had  left  his 
towel  and  soap  upon  the  veranda. 

**  And  what's  this  crowd  doing  here,  I  should  like 
to  know  ?  What  are  you  blocking  up  the  entrance 
for?  Has  the  government  authorized  you  to  be 
annoying  the  people  in  this  hotel  ?  I  must  take  a 
few  of  your  names  in  this  book  of  mine  and  repor^ 
the  affair  at  Tokio,"  said  he,  drawing  forth  his 
pocket-book.  But  there  wasn't  time  to  get  a  single 
name !  With  one  impulse,  the  frightened  throng 
rushed  forth  into  the  street  and  scattered  in  all 
directions,  leaving  the  vicinity  as  quiet  as  you 
please.  And  that  ended  the  matter.  In  the 
morning  he  returned  within  treaty  limits. 

All  this  sounds  very  strange  to  you,  but  it  is 
still  a  very  characteristic  description.  In  a  few 
years,  however,  I  think  the  Japanese  will  become 
more  self-asserting.  When  that  time  comes  this 
letter  will  amuse  the  natives  themselves. 

This  will  be  my  last  letter  from  Hirosaki.  To- 
morrow I  start  for  Yokohama.  My  next  letter  I 
hope  to  date  at  Tokio.  It  is  with  feelings  of  con- 
siderable regret  that  I  bid  farewell  to  the  Toogu- 
Gakko  and  the  scholars.  They  have  been  my 
companions  for  eight  months.  They  have  been 
kind  and  obliging  in  escorting  me  about  the  coun- 
try. They  have  been  diligent  in  their  lessons,  and 
extremely  polite  in  their  deportment  in  the  school- 
room.    I  would    much    enjoy   teaching   them    for 


126  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

another  year.  But  the  lonely  life  I  am  leading  is 
beginning  to  wear  me  down.  My  successor  is 
already  on  his  way  here.  He  brings  his  family 
with  him.  He  will,  no  doubt,  be  able  to  remain 
here  several  years.  With  a  wife  to  attend  to  your 
house,  you  can  live  very  comfortably  here.  I  must 
be  about  my  packing. 

Farewell, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 

P.  S. — I  am  writing  this  at  a  little  village  outside 
of  Hirosaki.  We  left  at  daylight  this  morning. 
There  was  a  slight  fall  of  snow,  and  the  road  was 
very  slushy.  The  scholars  followed  me  two  miles 
out  of  the  city.  They  then  stopped,  and  one  of 
them  stepped  out  and  made  a  speech  in  English. 
He  thanked  me  in  the  name  of  the  school  for  my 
kindness  and  care  in  instructing  them  ;  said  that 
they  were  sorry  the  place  was  so  lonely  ;  but  that 
they  had  all  tried  to  make  it  pleasant  for  me,  and 
hoped  that  my  journey  would  be  a  pleasant  one. 
I  was  not  prepared  for  this  speech.  But,  turning 
in  my  saddle,  and  looking  down  upon  the  upturned 
faces  and  moistened  eyes,  I  was  really  touched.  I 
shall  never  forget  that  scene.  There  they  stood  in 
a  semicircle,  ankle  deep  in  the  mud,  and  shivering 
with  the  cold.  Each  face  was  touched  up  with  an 
expression  of  genuine  sorrow;  for  they  had  all 
been  my  companions  in  my  loneliness,  had  all  taken 
their  turns  in  escorting  me  in  my  walks,  had  all 
been  my  faithful  pupils.     Under  the  inspiration  of 


A   FEW  REMINISCENCES.  12J 

the  moment,  I  spoke  for  several  minutes  in  reply, 
"  Boys,"  said  I,  **  we  have  now  taken  our  last  walk 
together.  I  shall  now  journey  on  to  Awomori ; 
but  you  must  return  to  your  native  city.  I  thank 
you  for  your  many  kindnesses  to  me  during  my 
stay  in  Hirosaki.  Without  you,  my  stay  would 
have  been  very  lonely  indeed.  I  thank  you  for 
your  diligence  in  your  studies.  By  your  diligence 
and  kindness  you  have  made  my  stay  very  pleasant. 
Perhaps  I  may  never  return  to  Hirosaki.  Perhaps 
I  may  never  see  Iwa-ki-san  again.  But  I  can  never 
forget  the  school  and  the  scholars  of  the  Toogu- 
Gakko.  Should  you  ever  visit  Tokio  or  the  United 
States,  I  shall  always  be  much  pleased  to  sec  you. 
In  the  meantime,  diligently  continue  your  studies. 
I  hope  we  shall  meet  again  in  this  world.  If  not,  I 
hope  we  shall  meet  in  the  next.  I  hope  you  will 
all  meet  with  great  success.  Farewell."  They  all 
bowed  low,  and  my  horse  bore  me  down  the  road. 
I  looked  back  several  times,  and  there  they  stood. 
I  can  see  them  now,  almost,  as  I  write  this.  I  really 
did  not  know  there  was  so  much  feeling  in  the 
Japanese  nature.  When  you  have  once  gained 
their  confidence,  they  are  very  affectionate.  But 
their  enmity,  when  once  roused,  is  implacable. 
Yours  in  haste, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 

Awomori,  November  19, '  74. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus  : 

Before   sending  off  my  last  letter,  I  met  with  a 


128  LET  TERS  FROM  J  A  PA  M 

delay  that  detained  me  in  this  place  nearly  a  week. 
I  take  this  opportunity  to  send  you  a  copy  of 
the  farewell  address  presented  to  me  by  the  di- 
rectors and  scholars  several  days  before  starting. 
It  will  serve  as  a  kind  of  third  postscript. 

ADDRESS. 

Since  you  came,  last  spring,  to  the  school  of 
Toogu,  sailing  over  the  waves,  crested  with  foam, 
and  taking  no  care  of  the  uncivilized  waste,  you 
have  taught  the  scholars  for  eight  months,  with 
your  patience  and  industry.  The  fruits  growing 
abundantly  on  the  scholars,  they  made  greater  prog- 
ress, having  compared  to  the  last  year. 

The  effect  was  chiefly  brought  about  by  your 
wonderful  energy.  For  the  association,  thus  re- 
ceiving your  kindness  hitherto,  I  have  no  words  to 
express  the  gratitude.  Hereafter,  I  wish  to  reward 
your  trouble  of  teaching,  with  the  perfection  of 
their  study,  with  all  my  heart. 

Up  to  this  time,  you  are  living  in  the  lone  place 
without  any  friend  to  speak  each  other,  save  a  few 
scholars.  As  you  know,  I  being  silly,  not  only  I  do 
imperfectly  all  that  is  required,  but  as  I  cannot 
speak  the  English  like  a  dumb,  have  no  means  to 
comfort  you,  though  I  know  your  weariness  and 
loneness. 

Moreover,  other  disagreement  to  your  wishes  are 
not  few,  but  as  these  proceed  from  my  being  stranger 
to  the  English,  I  cannot  hope  to  pray  anything  but 
the  clear  inference  and  forgiveness. 


A  FEIV  REMINISCENCES.  1 29 

The  lacquer  wares  and  silk  threads  are  not,  in 
reality,  excellent  things,  yet  as  these  are  the  manu- 
factures of  the  city  of  Hirosaki,  I  will  offer  these  to 
you  as  the  parting  presents.  I  pray  you  to  receive 
these. 

9  Sagaki. 


LETTER    IX. 

TOKIO. 
Being  a  confidential  Chat  about  the  Metropolis. 

ToKio,  May  31.  1875. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

Your  letter  from  Naples  came  duly  to  hand. 
You  ask  me  many  questions  about  the  situation 
and  general  features  of  Tokio  ;  about  the  geological 
aspects  of  the  surrounding  country ;  about  its  his- 
tory, its  inhabitants,  the  methods  to  which  we  re- 
sort for  amusement,  the  present  system  of  schools, 
and  the  social  features  of  the  place  in  general. 

Although  your  questions  appear  simple  enough, 
yet,  to  transfer  my  ideas  accurately  to  your  mind 
through  the  clumsy  media  of  pen  and  ink,  will  take 
no  little  time  and  paper.  Written  descriptions 
rarely  convey  accurate  impressions  to  the  reader's 
mind,  and  it  is  correspondingly  rare  to  find  a  knight 
of  the  pen  who  docs  not  regard  his  version  or  de- 
scription of  place,  character,  or  thing  thoroughly 
correct.  It  is  amusing  to  notice  how  the  same 
question  will  be  answered  by  different  persons. 
Ask  a  dozen  residents  of  Tokio  or  Yokohama 
whether  gratitude  should  be  considered  an  element 
of  Japanese  character,  and  you  will  find  yourself  in 


»  »     . 


I  »  .  »      ' 


»      •  ••*  > 


AINOS. 
(FrotH  a  Satire  Photograph.) 


TOKIO,  I  3  I 

possession  of  a  vast  and  entertaining  variety  of  af- 
firmation, negation,  and  invective.  Be  it  therefore 
understood  that  we  are  only  going  to  state  our  own 
views  upon  the  metropolis. 

As  the  day  is  warm  I  shall  lay  myself  out  system- 
atically for  my  work.  In  the  first  place,  I  have  or- 
dered the  boy  to  put  a  couple  of  bottles  of  lemon- 
ade down  the  well  so  that  I  may  refresh  my  pen 
betimes.  I  have  ordered  all  the  shojecs  to  be  taken 
out,  thus  throwing  parlor,  bedrooms,  and  dining- 
room  into  one  vast,  airy  apartment.  So  I  am  sit- 
ting in  a  kind  of  pavilion  opening  out  on  all  sides 
into  the  garden.  My  chum  has  gone  out  for  a  day's 
shooting  in  the  paddy  fields  beyond  the  Sumida ; 
so  that  my  only  companion  is  a  little  bull  terrier 
that  divides  its  time  between  sitting  on  a  chair 
watching  me  write,  and  occasionally  furnishing 
periods  by  bouncing  out  through  the  shrubbery  at 
my  neighbor's  children  who  come  peeping  through 
the  bamboo  fence  at  the  ejinsan  (foreigner).  Please 
excuse  my  shirt  sleeves,  for  it  is  hot  notwithstand- 
ing the  bay  breeze  that  is  playing  through  the 
rooms. 

Now  I  feel  prepared  for  that  first  question  of 
yours.  Let's  see,  what  was  it  ?  Boy !  bring  me 
that  letter  on  the  bed.  Ah  !  here  we  are  :  "  Gen- 
eral features  of  Tokio  and  the  geological  aspects  of 
the  surrounding  country." 

In  answering,  we  will  omit  the  usual  exordium 
which  begins  by  positively  announcing  that  Tokio 
is  surely  to  be  found  transfixed  by  such  and  such  a 


132  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

parallel,  and  has  never  been  known  to  be  otherwise 
than  astride  such  and  such  a  meridian. 

The  city  of  Yas/tikis'*  and  conflagrations  is  flanked 
on  the  east  by  a  lovely  bay,  on  the  north  by  an  ex- 
tensive stretch  of  level  territory,  and  on  the  west 
and  south  by  miles  and  miles  of  undulating  country 
exquisitely  diversified  with  picturesque  ranges  of 
hills.  This  is  the  most  extensive  piece  of  low  coun- 
try to  be  found  in  the  empire.  It  is  the  paradise 
of  the  ubiquitousy/>/r/-^j/rfl  man,  for  he  can  trundle 
his  establishment  as  far  northward  as  Sendai,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  two  hundred  miles,  before  he  must 
give  way  to  the  kago  (palankeen)  and  the  pack 
horse  ;  to  the  north-west,  he  can  meander  peacefully 
for  ninety  miles  until  the  Nikko  range  impedes  his 
blissful  course;  and  to  the  west,  and  south,  the  tra- 
ditional even  tenor  of  his  way  will  meet  with  but 
few  obstructions  for  sixty  miles.  A  fair  geological 
inference  would  be,  that  this  rolling  hill  country 
and  plain  is  formed  of  the  debris  washed  off  from 
the  mighty  spinal  range  during  the  floods  of  pre- 

*  A  Yashiki  was  a  style  of  feudal  architecture  peculiar  to  Yeddo. 
The  central  feature  was  a  palace  of  vast  proportions.  Around  this, 
on  all  sides,  were  gardens,  lawns,  and  court-yards,  covering  fre- 
quently many  acres  of  ground.  All  this  was  then  hemmed  in  with 
an  unbroken  line  of  barracks  arranged  in  a  quadrangle  and  having 
heavily  barred  windows  and  iron-bound  gates  of  massive  proportions. 
Each  Daimio  had  his  Ya.<:/tiki  in  Yeddo  wherein  he  and  his  army  of 
retainers  resided  during  their  long  visits  under  the  Tokugawa  n'gime. 
But  few  of  these  grand  structures  remain  ;  many  were  burnt  during 
the  revolution  ;  and  some  of  the  finest,  having  been  turned  into  gov- 
ernment offices,  were  set  on  fire  and  destroyed  by  stoves  improperly 
set  up  therein. 


TOKIO. 


133 


historic  ages.  The  extensive  rice  flats  of  Echizen, 
Kaga,  and  Echigo,  on  the  west  coast  of  Nippon, 
show  that  the  turbid  streams  were  also  busy  on  the 
other  side  of  the  range.  Mixed  up  with  all  this  al- 
luvial drift  will  be  found  large  quantities  of  lava 
from  Fuji-san  and  Asama-yama.  So  much  for  the 
geological  features  of  the  surrounding  country. 

The  features  of  Tokio  are  various.  The  stranger's 
impression  of  the  city  will  be  materially  modified  by 
the  time  of  the  year,  the  state  of  the  weather,  the 
moral  tone  of  his  jinrikslia  man,  and  the  importu- 
nity of  the  Shiba  priest.  It  is  all  very  well,  should 
he  chance  to  strike  a  day  when  the  fickle  metropoli- 
tan climate  chances  to  be  smiling,  and  hit  upon  a 
team  of  amiable  bipeds,  to  make  the  columns  of 
that  paper  for  which  he  is  acting  as  foreign  corre- 
spondent beam  with  vivid  eulogies  on  the  divine 
temperament  of  the  native  disposition,  the  tran- 
scendent salubrity  of  the  Japanese  climate,  the 
beauty  of  the  mausoleums,  and  the  courteous  de- 
portment of  the  priesthood.  But  let  him  come  up 
on  a  day  when  the  piercing  gales  from  off  Nantai- 
zan  are  raising  every  available  atom  of  dust  and 
pouring  them  down  the  streets  in  unremitting 
clouds  ;  just  let  him  try  to  view  park  and  temple 
with  half-shut  eyes  and  frozen  liver ;  just  let  him 
drive  like  a  hurricane  to  the  station  to  catch  the 
last  train,  and  then  have  a  grand  fight  with  thGj'ht- 
riksha  men  ;  have  them  push  the  money  back  in 
derision  ;  have  them  follow  him  all  the  way  to  the 
slip  bawling  in  vociferous  unison  at  the  incompati- 


134  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

bility  of  the  pay  with  their  gigantic  exertions  ;  have 
them  grasp  his  clothing  and  bawl  in  his  ears  as  he 
is  attempting  to  pass  the  slip  ;  and  have  a  recollec- 
tion of  a  sudden  cessation  of  hostilities  as  a  boot  or 
cane  goes  off  into  a  promiscuous  assemblage  of  ribs, 
shins,  and  top-knots,  and  then  a  gloomy  tinge  will 
be  imparted  to  the  columns  of  that  public  instructor. 
The  peruser  thereof  will  gather  the  impression  that 
the  word  beastly  but  inadequately  expresses  the 
Tokio  climate ;  that  the  temples  are  barracks ;  and 
that  a  jinriksJia  man  is  a  combination  of  vicious 
balkishness  and  unutterable  avarice,  to  be  ranked 
below  the  vilest  of  the  vile. 

Let  us  take  a  ride  around  the  city.  Visitors 
have  reduced  the  **  doing "  of  Tokio  down  to  a 
science.  Let  us  suppose  we  are  new-comers,  and  let 
us  go  over  the  beaten  track.  Here  we  jump  into  a 
jinrikslia  at  the  station  and  merely  say  *'  morroiv- 
viorroiu  "  (slang  for  go  sight-seeing),  and  the  faces  of 
the  crowd  instantly  become  electrified  with  a  beam 
of  intelligence  ;  and  four  happy  top  knots  (only 
two  are  necessary)  immediately  spring  into  position 
fore  and  aft  of  the  vehicle,  and  away  they  go  yell- 
ing like  Modocs  until  we  reach  Shiba,  in  the  south- 
west portion  of  the  city.  Here  we  can  well  spend 
a  full  hour  in  examining  the  mausoleums  of  the 
Shoguns  (Tycoons)  ensconced  upon  the  gentle 
slopes  of  a  deeply  wooded  hill.  The  elegantly 
lacquered  floors,  the  richly  frescoed  ceilings,  the 
pillars  with  exquisite  arabesque  designs,  the  mass- 
ive tombs  of   stone   and    bronze,  the  carved  and 


TOKIO.  135 

gilded  walls,  the  bronze  lanterns  that  look  like 
dwarfed  minarets,  and  the  cool,  melancholy  avenues 
winding  through  the  groves,  will  delight  you  ex- 
ceedingly. 

We  now  go  through  the  castle  grounds  to 
Asakusa,  some  four  miles  off,  in  the  northern  por- 
tion of  the  city.  Here  we  find  an  extremely  large 
and  unromantic  Buddhist  temple.  In  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  are  all  manner  of  shows.  From 
morn  till  dewy  eve  the  place  swarms  with  sight- 
seers. Peasants,  corporals,  gaping  military-  recruits, 
and  crowds  of  women  armed  with  babies,  loom  up 
from  all  quarters  of  the  metropolis  to  inspect  the 
miniature  Barnums. 

We  now  leave  this  uproar  and  confusion,  and 
make  off  for  Uyeno,  about  two-thirds  of  a  mile 
north-east  of  Asakusa.  This  is  a  pretty  park  upon 
a  bluff.  Scattered  through  the  grounds  are  a  few 
temples  of  rather  indifferent  quality.  Several  of 
the  Shoguns  were  buried  here.  At  one  time  this 
park  was  the  prettiest  part  of  Tokio,  and  its  tem- 
ples were  far-famed  ;  but  the  Imperial  Revolution 
of  1868  worked  sad  havoc  with  the  shrines,  and  left 
only  a  few  inferior  buildings  and  some  bullet- 
spattered  gateways,  which  are  rapidly  disappear- 
ing. From  the  tea  booths  that  line  the  brow  of 
the  hill,  you  obtain  a  lovely  view  of  the  city.  The 
pretty  panorama  stretches  for  miles  to  the  west, 
south,  and  east.  And  sixty  miles  to  the  south- 
west, you  see  Fujisan  lifting  its  flattened  crest  far 
above  the  Hakon^  range. 


136  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Leaving  Uyeno,  we  drive  down  the  Ginza,  across 
Nihon-Bashi  (the  center  from  which  all  distances 
in  the  empire  are  computed),  and  reach  the  station 
in  time  to  catch  the  five  o'clock  train. 

Regarding  the  history  of  Yeddo,  or  Tokio  as  it 
has  been  called  since  the  Imperial  Revolution,  you 
will  find  that  it  does  not  date  back  four  hundred 
years.  When  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  were  clearing 
away  the  timber  from  the  cheerless  shores  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,  the  site  of  Tokio  was  waving 
with  tall  grass  and  was  tangled  with  under- 
brush. A  few  hamlets  of  fishermen  and  peasants 
were  scattered  here  and  there.  The  wild  geese 
from  Ycsso  could,  with  rare  impunity,  frequent  the 
marshes  of  the  Sumida.  Tokugawa  lyeyas,  while 
campaigning  In  this  vicinity,  noted  its  rare  adapta- 
tion for  a  commercial  metropolis,  and  his  suc- 
cessors made  it  the  permanent  capital  of  the 
Tohtgawas.  The  great  feature  of  the  city  is  the 
castle.  The  citadel  was  built  by  Ohta  Dokan,  The 
two  outer  systems  of  circumvallation  were  subse- 
quently added  as  the  grandeur  of  the  dynasty  grew 
apace.  The  circumference  of  the  entire  castle  is 
now  eleven  miles. 

Scores  of  yashikis^  or  palaces,  sprang  up  all  over 
the  city  in  order  to  accommodate  the  Daimios  and 
hordes  of  vassals  that  trooped  with  tithes  and 
homage  from  more  than  a  hundred  provinces. 
Then,  as  a  matter  of  course,  merchants  and  trades- 
men came  in  immense  numbers  and  built  up  the 
lowlands  around    the   bay,  beside   the    river,  and 


TOKIO.  137 

along  the  base  of  the  bluffs.  It  did  not  take  long 
for  the  glory  of  Kamakura  to  depart,  and  for 
Yeddo  to  become  the  metropolis.  Every  favorable 
breeze  now  brought  fleets  of  junks  scudding  up  the 
bay,  gliding  up  the  Sumida,  and  creeping  off  into 
the  numerous  canals  that  cut  up  the  city  outside 
the  moats.  Rice,  salt,  charcoal,  fish,  oranges  from 
Kiushiu,  sea-weed  from  Hakodate,  and  lumber  from 
Chiba,  were  some  of  the  cargoes.  This  was  the 
great  epoch  of  commercial  prosperity  in  Japan. 
For  three  centuries  a  profound  peace  reigned 
throughout  the  empire. 

But  Yeddo  itself  was  always  a  scene  of  bustle 
and  excitement.  Between  conflagrations,  earth- 
quakes, processions  of  Daimios  coming  in  from  the 
provinces,  and  brawls  between  members  of  hostile 
clans,  the  mildew  was  not  allowed  to  settle  so 
thoroughly  as  it  had  done  in  other  parts  of  the 
realm.  New  Year's  Day  was  the  great  festive 
occasion.  Friends  exchanged  visits  and  feasted. 
There  is  but  little  doubt  that  New  Year's  calling 
was  introduced  into  America  from  Japan.  The 
Dutch  at  Desima  carried  it  to  Holland,  and  the 
Knickerbockers  then  carried  it  to  New  York.  The 
custom  does  not  prevail  in  England.  On  this  day 
the  Daimios  in  Yeddo  presented  their  respects  to 
the  Shogun. 

The  next  event  would  be  the  annual  visit  of  the 
Dutch  delegation  from  Desima.  After  their  chief 
had,  on  his  hands  and  knees,  crawled  into  the 
presence  of  the  Generalissimo  of  the  Four  Coasts, 


138  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

prostrated  himself,  and  then  crawled  back  again  ; 
and  after  his  companions  had  sung  Dutch  songs, 
danced  Dutch  jigs,  and  kissed  Dutch  kisses  for  the 
entertainment  of  the  royal  household,  they  would 
be  sent  back  with  a  few  presents  to  Kiushiu  {vide 
Kacmpfer). 

Then  some  powerful  northern  Daimio  would  for 
several  days  pour  his  retainers  along  the  Oshiu- 
kaido,  and  another  army  of  savmrai  would  stream 
up  the  Tokaido  from  the  south.  Bustle  and  ex- 
citement would  follow  until  they  were  settled  down 
in  their  yasliikis.  How  the  children  and  the 
women  tried  to  catch  glimpses  of  the  lords  through 
the  chinks  in  the  doors ! 

But  Yeddo  wanted  variety.  So  some  windy 
night  an  incendiary,  or  careless  waiter  girl,  would 
set  fire  to  a  house,  and  away  would  go  about  a 
quarter  of  the  city.  These  vast  conflagrations  oc- 
curred about  every  two  years.  They  usually  began 
beside  the  moat  and  would  lick  up  everything 
down  to  the  bay.  With  the  exception  of  the 
castle,  the  city  was  rebuilt  about  every  eight  or 
ten  years. 

At  another  time  the  community  would  be  enter- 
tained with  a  grand  street  duel  between  hot-headed 
samurai.  Then  some  high  officer,  who  had  ren- 
dered himself  obnoxious  to  his  subordinates,  would 
be  hacked  in  pieces  in  broad  daylight  by  a  sudden 
dash  of  assassins  rushing  upon  him  at  some  unex- 
pected point.  Japanese  in  feudal  times  had  to  use 
great  care  in  addressing   each  other.     A   word,  a 


TOKIO, 


139 


gesture,  an  uncourteous  expression  of  voice,  has 
frequently  given  offense  that  has  been  avenged 
after  years  of  nursing.  The  rude  oflficial  was  sur- 
rounded with  scores  of  thirsty  blades  awaiting 
some  dark  night  or  unguarded  yashiki.  The  ex- 
treme politeness  of  the  Japanese  is  the  product  of 
feudal  etiquette. 

Next,  perchance,  would  occur  a  social  tragedy. 
Some  Daimio  has  insulted  one  of  his  vassals.  Feu- 
dal etiquette  stigmatizes  any  samurai  who  raises 
his  hand  against  his  lord ;  so  the  fiery  vassal  calls 
his  friends  together,  settles  all  accounts,  and  immo- 
lates himself  on  the  shrine  of  honor  by  performing 
the  hara-kiri. 

And  now  nature  steps  in  and  a  violent  earth- 
quake sends  the  city  scampering  into  the  streets. 
These  shocks  were  generally  quite  harmless.  On 
two  occasions,  however,  since  the  founding  of  the 
city,  the  greater  portion  of  Yeddo  was  thrown  down 
and  burned.  As  many  as  twenty  thousand  people 
perished  on  one  of  these  occasions.  But  these  epi- 
sodes were  never  allowed  to  interfere  with  trade. 
A  Japanese  merchant  is  not  so  easily  disconcerted. 
With  only  five  dollars  in  his  pocket,  he  will  set  up 
shop  again,  while  the  embers  of  his  former  estab- 
lishment are  still  smoldering.  The  whole  burned 
district  will  be  rebuilt  in  a  month.  The  center  of 
every  merchant's  house  is  a  fire-proof  go-down  (ware- 
house). When  a  fire-alarm  is  raised,  he  hastily  puts 
all  his  valuables  inside,  seals  up  the  cracks  with 
clay,  leaves  a  lighted  candle  inside,  securely  bolts 


140  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

the  door  outside,  seals  it  also  with  clay,  and  takes 
up  his  clothing  and  bedding  and  leisurely  goes  to 
the  nearest  open  piece  of  ground  and  camps  out  all 
night.  The  next  day  he  builds  up  a  frail,  tem- 
porary domicile  around  his  go-down.  No  attempt 
is  made  to  fight  the  fire.  The  Yeddo  merchant  is 
emphatically  a  man  of  business.  Accustomed  to 
handling  money,  he  has  acquired  a  reputation  for 
energy  and  liberality.  Accustomed  to  bustle  and 
excitement  and  to  variety  in  customs,  he  has  be- 
come decidedly  cosmopolitan  in  his  tastes,  and  fond 
of  all  kinds  of  innovation.  Accustomed  to  a  thriv- 
ing business  atmosphere,  he  has  acquired  a  brisk- 
ness of  action  and  a  recklessness  in  speculation  that 
quite  take  the  breath  out  of  a  north  countryman, 
and  instill  a  mingled  feeling  of  contempt  and  ad- 
miration into  the  effete  being  of  a  victim  from 
Kioto.  It  has  been  his  lot  to  deal  too  frequently 
with  impetuous  J^w7/rtf/,  who  often  settled  bargains 
with  their  swords.  And  this  experience  has  given 
him  a  finished  politeness  of  manner,  which  renders 
him  a  fit  model  for  some  of  our  home  clerks,  and 
an  obsequious  pertinacity  in  adhering  to  prices  that 
renders  him  an  object  of  disagreeable  comment  at 
times  to  his  European  victims. 

But  old  Yeddo  has  passed  away.  The  arrival  of 
Perry  marked  an  epoch  in  its  history.  Consterna- 
tion filled  the  court  when  it  was  known  that  a  for- 
eign fleet  rode  at  anchor  only  a  few  miles  below  the 
capital.  They  must  be  instantly  ordered  off.  But 
they  refuse  to  go  without  delivering  an  important 


TOKIO, 


41 


letter  to  a  high  official !  Are  they  then  unlike  the 
Dutch  ?  Aye,  and  are  persistent  in  their  demands. 
Terror  spreads  from  the  court  to  the  city.  The 
merchants  begin  to  carry  off  their  valuables  to 
places  of  safety.  A  general  exodus  appears  immi- 
nent. Old  samuraiy  who  had  been  lamenting  the 
decline  of  chivalry,  now  begin  to  snuff  carnage  and 
breathe  vengeance  against  the  intruders.  But  the 
pressure  is  too  great,  and  a  treaty  is  reluctantly 
made.  Dissatisfaction  seizes  the  samurai.  Angry 
mutterings  come  from  the  north,  the  west,  and 
the  south.  The  political  sky  grows  black.  Never- 
theless, the  foreign  trade  prospers.  The  merchants 
become  opulent.  The  prices  of  silk,  rice,  and  tea 
become  trebled.  And  all  the  pressure  falls  on 
the  samurai^  who  alone  derive  no  benefit  from  this 
outside  traffic.  And,  as  if  infatuated,  the  Shogun 
makes  treaties  with  other  nations,  and  opens  other 
ports.  This  must  surely  be  stopped.  The  Shogun 
is  favoring  the  barbarian  beasts  and  is  betraying 
the  national  interests !  He  is  urgently  petitioned 
to  expel  the  intruders,  but  replies  that  it  is  beyond 
his  power.  Then  the  discontented  samurai  trans- 
fer their  allegiance  from  the  Shogun  to  the  Mikado, 
and,  for  the  first  time  in  centuries,  the  tide  of 
power  sets  from  the  east  toward  the  west ;  the 
chrysanthemum  begins  to  prevail  over  the  mallow 
leaves,  and  the  imperial  voice  commands  the  Sho- 
gun to  annul  the  treaties  and  expel  the  barbarian. 
The  answer  is  that  things  have  gone  too  far.  No 
power  can  annul  the  treaties.     Heavier  and  darker 


14^2  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

hangs  the  political  sky  over  the  house  of  Toku- 
gawa.  Influence  rapidly  deserts  Yeddo  and  flows 
steadily  toward  the  Gosho  and  the  Phenix  car.  The 
Shogun,  unable  to  carry  out  the  imperial  decrees, 
is  commanded  to  lay  down  his  office.  Unwilling 
to  raise  the  standard  of  revolt  against  the  son  of 
heaven,  he  retires  into  voluntary  exile,  after  a  vain 
attempt  to  wrest  the  imperial  person  from  the 
grasp  of  the  hostile  and  powerful  Satsuma  clan. 
The  Aidzu  and  Tokugawa  clans,  however,  bitterly 
continue  the  struggle  unavailingly.  They  are 
driven  from  Kioto,  pressed  steadily  backward  upon 
Yeddo,  fight  desperately  for  a  few  days  in  the 
Uyeno  grounds,  are  driven  slowly  northward,  and 
arc  finally  vanquished  in  their  last  furious  struggle 
at  Hakodate  in  Yesso.  And  the  Mikado,  who  has 
been  ruling  by  proxy  for  more  than  a  thousand 
years,  comes  to  Yeddo  and  rechristens  it  Tokio. 
And  now  out  with  the  barbarian !  But  hold  ! 
What  means  this  sudden  change?  Has  the  Mikado 
gone  mad  ?  Was  not  the  rallying  cry  of  the  revo- 
lution, "  Down  with  the  Shogun !  Out  with  the 
barbarian!"  Yet  he  is  far  exceeding  the  Shogun 
in  his  liberality  !  More  favorable  treaties  are  made ! 
Additional  ports  are  thrown  open,  and  foreign 
civilization  is  introduced  ! 

This  singular  transformation  must  rank  as  one  of 
the  most  extraordinary  changes  in  history.  The 
new  government  clearly  saw  the  folly  of  struggling 
against  foreigners,  and,  as  only  Japanese  can  do, 
gracefully  bowed   to   the  force   of  circumstances. 


TOKIO,  143 

Arrogant  and  haughty  when  in  power,  they  well 
know  how  to  be  humble  and  obsequious  when 
under  power.  And  so,  not  without  a  pang  of  re- 
gret, we  bid  farewell  to  Yeddo. 

Tokio  is  quite  a  new  city.  The  castle  has  been 
much  dismantled,  so  that  the  people  may  more 
speedily  forget  old  times.  Almost  all  \,\iQ  yashikis 
have  been  destroyed.  Houses  patterned  after  Eu- 
ropean models  have  sprung  up  everywhere.  Just 
accompany  me  for  a  short  time  and  we  will  note 
the  main  points  of  interest. 

Let  us  begin,  then,  at  Tsukidji,  the  foreign  con- 
cession. It  is  down  on  the  bay.  In  former  times 
it  was  a  snipe-pool,  but  it  has  been  sufficiently  filled 
in  to  make  a  fair  piece  of  property.  The  location 
is  not  very  healthy.  At  ebb  tide,  three  or  four 
miles  of  mud-flats  are  laid  bare  under  the  very 
noses  of  the  community.  The  wells  are  brackish. 
In  some  parts  dampness  and  malaria  render  the 
ground  floors  unsafe  for  sleeping  purposes.  For 
foreign  commercial  purposes  it  is  a  failure,  as  the 
water  is  shallow  for  eight  miles  into  the  bay.  The 
merchants,  therefore,  have  pronounced  anathemas 
upon  the  place  and  concentrated  their  forces  at 
Yokohama.  The  place  is  at  present  almost  entirely 
occupied  by  missionaries,  who  have  made  it  one  of 
the  most  presentable  spots  in  Tokio.  Like  Desima 
at  Nagasaki,  it  is  an  artificial  island  hemmed  in 
with  broad  canals.  But  unlike  Desima,  no  Yaku- 
nins  stand  guard  at  the  bridges  to  prevent  egress 
and  ingress.    The  Tokugawas  little  dreamed  that  a 


144  LET!  ERS  FROM  J  A  PA  N. 

Dutch  legation  would  ever  be  built  within  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  Nihon-bashi. 

Tsukidji  is  also  dangerously  situated  as  regards 
fires.  The  northerly  gales  carry  all  the  conflagra- 
tions down  in  this  direction,  so  that  it  has  on  one 
occasion  been  burnt  out,  and  badly  scorched  on  an- 
other. On  such  occasions  the  creaking  of  well- 
ropes,  the  roar  of  the  multitudes  streaming  by,  the 
blinding  clouds  of  glowing  cinders,  and  the  blazing 
tatamis,  borne  along  on  clouds  of  dust,  render  the 
scene  interesting,  and  hot  for  the  fire  volunteers. 
Tsukidji  has  four  churches,  two  legations,  three 
seminaries,  a  hospital,  a  hotel,  a  butchery,  an  orphan 
asylum,  and  half  a  dozen  parsonages. 

Half  a  mile  southwest  of  Tsukidji  is  the  Naval 
College,  an  institution  with  an  able  staff  of  English 
instructors.  Beyond  this  is  the  Sei-0-Ken,  a  hotel 
upon  foreign  ideas,  kept  by  the  Japanese.  In  build- 
ing it  the  chimneys  proved  a  failure,  so  they  have 
run  innumerable  stove-pipes  through  walls  and  win- 
dows, until  the  institution  resembles  a  huge  soap- 
boiling  establishment.  They,  however,  serve  up  a 
capital  tabic  d'liStc,  They  have  also  introduced  the 
civilized  institutions  of  bar-room  (patronized  almost 
entirely  by  Europeans)  and  bilHards.  The  reading- 
room  has  a  fair  assortment  of  foreign  journals,  in- 
cluding some  of  the  indecent  illustrated  literature 
of  New  York  city. 

Another  half-mile  brings  us  to  the  railway  sta- 
tion, a  building  that  would  do  credit  to  any  country. 
Another  half-mile  brings   us  to  Yamato-Yashiki,  a 


THE   I'BIQLTTOt'S   JINRIKISHA. 


TOKIO.  145 

pretty  bluff  covered  with  fine  European  houses  for 
the  use  of  foreigners  in  the  employ  of  the  Survey, 
Telegraphic,  and  Engineering  Departments.  Under 
the  old  rdgime  this  was  one  of  the  aristocratic  por- 
tions of  Yeddo.  Here  we  also  find  the  Ko-bu-sho, 
the  Department  of  Public  Works.  It  is  a  massive 
yashiki  turned  into  offices.  Near  this  stands  the 
Engineering  College,  which  possesses  the  finest 
group  of  buildings  in  Japan.  They  are  substan- 
tially built  of  brick  and  stone,  and  would  be  a  credit 
to  any  country.  It  has  a  large  staff  of  European 
instructors,  and  is  in  a  most  flourishing  condition. 

We  now  cross  the  moat,  and  turn  to  the  west. 
Upon  a  bluff  that  skirts  this  part  of  the  city  we  find 
the  Mining  Department.  It  is  a  magnificent  old 
yashiki.  This  institution  seems  to  accomplish  but 
little  beside  giving  employment  to  a  horde  of  sunt- 
urai^  whose  prime  occupation  seems  to  be  drawing 
pensions,  and  meeting  every  day  to  annihilate  end- 
less supplies  of  weed  in  discussing  ways  and  means 
for — for  (does  anybody  know  ?) — for  a  continua- 
tion of  the  present  order  of  things  perchance.  The 
natives  are  so  jealous  about  the  mineral  resources 
of  their  country  that  they  grudgingly  allow  any 
outside  inspection.  Once  in  a  while  an  engineer 
will  be  sent  through  the  provinces  on  a  tour  of 
inspection.  His  reports  are  then  duly  considered 
and  ignored,  until  lapse  of  time  renders  it  necessary 
to  organize  another  expedition  to  keep  up  the  de- 
lusion that  something  important  is  being  done  by 
the  Mining  Department. 


146  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Passing  northward  for  a  mile  along  this  pretty 
bluff  we  come  to  the  British  Legation,  an  immense 
"  compound  "  surrounded  by  a  substantial  brick 
wall.  In  the  center  rises  the  huge  residence  of  Her 
Majesty's  Minister.  Scattered  through  the  spacious 
and  pretty  grounds  are  small  brick  houses  for  the 
Consul,  the  student  interpreters,  and  a  host  of  under- 
lings usually  connected  with  an  English  legation 
in  the  East.  In  fact,  the  emperor  himself  does  not 
live  in  such  style.  These  magnificent  legations, 
found  wherever  the  cross  of  St.  George  unfurls  to 
the  breeze,  are  truly  indicative  of  the  power  of  the 
British  Empire.  But  their  immense  cost,  taken  in 
connection  with  the  prolific  capacity  of  the  house 
of  Hanover-Brunswick,  makes  it  rather  disagreeable 
for  the  common  run  of  English  taxpayers.  My  ex- 
perience is  that  Americans,  behaving  themselves, 
are  just  as  much  protected  and  just  as  well  received 
abroad  as  Englishmen,  even  though  our  people  do 
not  lavish  money  on  their  legations.  The  American 
citizen  does  not  seem  to  need  so  much  protection 
as  a  British  subject.  He  behaves  himself  better 
toward  the  people  of  a  foreign  country,  and  con- 
sequently has  less  collision.  Englishmen  have  been 
frequently  cut  down  in  Japan.  I  do  not  know  of 
any  native-born  American  so  dealt  with.  There 
have  been  one  or  two  naturalized  ones  assassinated, 
I  believe.  When  the  British  subject  learns  to  deport 
himself  like  a  gentleman  upon  all  occasions  toward 
inferior  races  he  will  be  disposed  to  dispense  with 
the  expensive  luxury  of  being  too  much  governed. 


TOKIO.  147 

This  entire  bluff  is  known  as  Ban-Cho,  and  in 
old  times  it  was  highly  favored  by  the  aristocracy. 
Many  pretty  villas  are  scattered  all  over  it.  At 
the  end  of  the  bluff  we  find  a  light-house  and  a 
race-course.  Rather  an  odd  place  for  a  light-house, 
you  will  say,  and  so  it  is.  It  was  built  in  honor 
of  the  braves  who  fell  fighting  for  His  Majesty 
during  the  revolution.  There  is  a  weird  supersti- 
tion that  it  serves  to  guide  the  departed  souls, 
should  they  chance  to  be  hovering  near  during  the 
cheerless  hours  of  night.  However  that  may  bo, 
'tis  surely  a  fine  beacon  for  belated  travelers  who 
have  not  been  so  happy  as  to  fall  in  the  Imperial 
service. 

This  vicinity  is  a  sort  of  Campus  Martins.  Sev- 
eral times  during  the  year  races,  wrestling,  fireworks, 
and  sports  of  various  descriptions  take  place  here. 
Hither  swarm  all  classes  of  natives,  and  fill  the 
boxes  and  scaffoldings  that  have  been  thrown  up 
around  the  race-course.  These  are  occasions  of 
thrilling  interest  to  the  youth  of  the  city.  The 
horse-racing  is  the  funniest  portion  of  the  whole 
programme.  Each  race  is  contested  by  half  a  dozen 
specimens  of  slab-sided  horseflesh.  At  some  un- 
couth signal  the  startled  animals  rush  forward  ;  at 
the  first  turning  at  least  one  pair  of  shanks  describes 
a  cycloid  over  the  nag's  head  ;  at  the  second  turning 
another  candidate  for  glory  prosaically  measures  his 
length  in  the  mud  ;  and  at  the  finish  two  or  three 
demoralized  nags  come  shambling  down  the  home- 
stretch amid  a  feeble  cheer,  being  kept  from  loafing 


148  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAP  A  N. 

up  against  the  fence  to  rest  by  the  vigorous  use  of 
tongue  and  stick. 

Passing  down  the  hill  we  come  to  an  extensive 
level  district  filled  with  the  houses  of  the  common 
people.  Near  the  moat  is  the  *'  compound  "  of  the 
Kai-Sei-Gakko,  the  Imperial  University  of  Japan. 
The  buildings  are  not  so  elaborate  as  those  of  the 
Engineering  College,  but  it  is  in  quite  as  prosperous 
a  condition.  It  furnishes  a  good  curriculum  of 
studies,  and  has  an  able  staff  of  foreign  instructors. 
The  location,  however,  is  low  and  unhealthy. 

Crossing  to  the  northward  we  come  to  Tsu- 
ruga  Dai,  reputed  to  be  the  highest  bluff  and 
the  healthiest  locality  in  Tokio.  Here  we  find 
many  fine  houses  in  European  style,  also  a  large 
Russian  church,  and  an  extensive  female  seminary. 
The  atmosphere  is  very  pure,  and  the  view  is 
lovely.  The  city  stretches  away  for  miles.  Yon- 
der is  the  tall  roof  of  Mitsui's  Bank,  rising  like  a 
tower  above  the  general  level  of  houses  around  it. 
There  lies  the  terraced,  thrice-moated  castle.  There 
stretches  the  Ginza  like  a  streak  of  snow,  its  modern 
style  strangely  constrasting  with  the  surrounding 
architecture.  And  nearly  four  miles  to  the  south- 
east you  see  the  spires  and  gable-ends  of  Tsukidji; 
while  far  down  the  bay  you  see  the  forts  built 
across  the  Shinagawa  Shoals  at  the  limits  of  the 
suburbs. 

And  this  is  Tokio,  with  its  five  years  of  modern 
improvement,  its  schools  and  colleges,  its  twenty- 
eight  square  miles  of  animation,  bustle,  and  trade. 


TOKIO.  1 49 

As  to  your  question  concerning  the  climate  of 
Tokio,  a  few  words  will  suffice.  January  and 
February  are  cold  but  clear  months.  But  little 
snow  falls ;  and  the  ponds,  canals,  and  river  are 
rarely  frozen.  A  penetrating  northerly  wind  makes 
you  feel  the  cold  to  be  trying.  The  gusts  are  very 
fickle.  You  will  first  have  three  or  four  days  as 
balmy  and  as  lovely  as  May,  and  you  allow  your 
fires  to  burn  very  low.  Then  your  blinds  begin  to 
rattle,  and  a  freezing  gale  rushes  down  from  Nikko- 
san  and  takes  the  city  by  storm,  making  it  misery 
to  go  out,  and  making  it  almost  impossible  to  keep 
warm  should  you  chance  to  be  living  in  a  native 
house.  The  month  of  March  is  even  more  change- 
able. About  the  middle  of  April  you  begin  to  drop 
your  overcoat  and  bank  your  fires.  The  flowers 
now  begin  to  come  out.  Crowds  of  people  daily 
flock  to  Uyeno  and  Asakusa  to  see  the  beautiful 
groves  of  cherry  trees  buried  in  floating  masses  of 
pink  and  white  blossoms.  May  is  usually  as  lovely 
as  can  be  desired, — although  a  little  fire  is  agreeable 
in  the  evenings  and  on  a  few  days  when  the  fickle 
blasts  of  winter  suddenly  return  as  if  loath  to  be 
exiled  in  the  northern  solitudes.  The  month  of 
June  is  rainy  and  muggy,  and  everything  becomes 
sticky  and  moldy, — an  occasional  fire  is  sometimes 
in  order  even  in  this  month.  July  and  August 
settle  down  to  clear  weather  and  steady  heat,  which 
is  usually  moderated  by  a  typhoon  near  September. 
The  last-named  month  is  rather  inclined  to  be 
rainy.     October  and  November  are  simply  perfec- 


I  50  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

tion,  and  December  is  almost  as  good.  You  start 
a  low  fire  about  the  middle  of  October.  For  at 
least  five  months  a  steady  fire  is  essential  to  com- 
fort. It  is  reported,  however,  that  certain  Scotch- 
men go  nearly  the  whole  winter  without  any  arti- 
ficial heat.  This  does  not,  however,  indicate  the 
average  capacity  for  enduring  cold  of  our  com- 
munity, for  to  chill  the  blood  of  some  of  these 
Caledonians  would  require  the  windward  exposure 
of  an  iceberg.  The  climate  is  healthful  on  the 
whole.  The  grass  is  green  all  the  year;  and  the 
camclias  bloom  all  winter.  The  drinking  water  of 
Tokio  is  bad,  especially  in  the  low  lands.  The 
immense  above  ground  drainage  in  gutters  is 
thought  to  infect  the  springs.  Filtering  and  boil- 
ing are  resorted  to.  Much  water  is  also  brought 
from  more  favored  localities  in  wooden  pipes.  The 
natives  always  drink  tea,  and  are  therefore  not  much 
annoyed  in  this  respect.  From  December  to  March 
small-pox  is  an  epidemic.  The  natives  pay  no 
more  attention  to  it  than  we  do  to  the  measles. 
Almost  everybody  has  had  it.  It  does  not  seem  to 
take  violent  hold  of  bodies  nurtured  with  vegetable 
food.  Foreigners  are  not  much  troubled  with  it, 
however.  Cholera  is  an  anomaly.  Rheumatism 
and  consumption  are  the  prevailing  ailments.  The 
peculiar  leg  dropsy  is  very  fatal  to  many.  This  is 
a  malady  unknown  to  us;  it  always  begins  at  the 
knee  and  travels  upward  and  attacks  the  vitals. 

The  conflagrations  form  the   most  disagreeable 
feature   of  Tokio.     They  have  a  regular   season, 


TOKIO,  1  5  I 

which  almost  invariably  commences  in  the  middle 
of  November  and  lasts  all  winter.  They  are  at- 
tributed to  poverty-stricken  incendiaries  ;  carpen- 
ters, clothing  merchants,  and  lumber  dealers  being 
the  popular  scapegoats.  But  the  fact  that  fires  are 
coincident  with  the  approach  of  cold  weather  and 
the  consequent  use  of  kebachis  (braziers),  argues 
that  they  are  the  result  of  carelessness  on  the  part 
of  the  natives,  who  are  notoriously  heedless  in  car- 
rying shovels  full  of  blazing  charcoal  all  over  the 
house  to  different  hebachis.  You  frequently  find 
the  tatamis  in  a  Japanese  house  scored  with  charred 
holes, — silent  witnesses  of  the  shuffling  carelessness 
of  a  free-and-go-easy  waiter  girl,  who  invariably 
laughs  and  says  **  nara/iodo'*  (indeed) when  you  call 
her  attention  to  them. 

Life  in  Tokio  differs  much  from  that  in  Yoko- 
hama; the  latter  place,  in  fact,  is  not  Japan  at 
all.  The  European  society  is  composed  of  pro- 
fessors, missionaries,  employees  in  the  different 
departments,  and  a  few  of  the  intelligent  Japanese 
who  have  been  abroad.  The  teachers  of  the  engi- 
neering colleges  and  the  employes  of  the  Ko-Bu- 
Sho  live  at  Yama-to-Yashiki.  The  teachers  of  the 
Kai-Sei-Gakko  live  partly  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
university  and  partly  at  Kaga-yashiki,  two  miles 
northward.  Quite  a  number  of  clerical  and  secular 
people  live  at  Suruga-Dai,  while  the  missionaries 
have  monopolized  Tsukidji.  You  will  see,  there- 
fore, that  distances  of  at  least  two  miles  separate 
the  five  branches  of  the  Tokio  community.     It  is 


I  5  2  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

a  hard  day's  work  to  make  the  round  on  New 
Year's  Day.  One  is  surprised  when  he  hears  that 
the  directory  has  six  hundred  names  down  as  resi- 
dents of  Tokio.  Manj'  are  scattered  around  in  ob- 
scure places.  Many  are  in  the  employ  of  the 
Mitsu-Bishi  Steamship  Company  and  are  only 
nominal  residents  of  the  place.  Others,  whose 
names  arc  down,  are  in  the  employ  of  the  Kitakushi, 
and  Mining  Department  and  are  off  in  Yesso  or 
Akitah.  So  that  it  is  safe  to  say  the  average  com- 
munity docs  not  exceed  three  hundred.  And  as 
educated  Japanese  return  from  abroad  and  fill 
positions  now  occupied  by  foreigners,  this  number 
will  rapidly  diminish.  The  native  population  is 
about  eight  hundred  thousand.  In  the  days  of  the 
Tokugawas,  however,  when  armies  of  retainers 
filled  the  numerous  YashikiSy  it  exceeded  a  million 
and  a  half. 

Our  leisure  hours  and  business  hours  are  variously 
employed.  If  you  are  adviser  to  a  department  of 
government,  you  dole  forth  the  requisite  amount 
of  admonition  (which  may  or  may  not  be  heeded), 
invest  largely  in  curios,  drive  around  in  a  carriage, 
keep  your  temper  when  interfered  with  by  officious 
Yakunins,  wisely  let  the  department  take  its  own 
course,  and  set  an  example  of  heroic  intrepidity 
and  commendable  punctuality  in  drawing  your 
salary  as  the  appointed  day  rolls  around.  Even  if 
you  do  not  chance  to  be  an  adviser  to  a  department 
but  hold  some  subordinate  position,  you  will  also 
find  pay-day  to  be  an  interesting  season  of  much 


TOKIO.  153 

unction.  If  you  are  a  missionary  you  will  find 
your  time  well  taken  up  with  studying  the  capri- 
cious language,  teaching,  preaching,  and  a  few 
social  duties.  If  you  are  a  teacher  in  one  of  the 
government  schools,  you  will  find  your  life  singu- 
larly unique.  Your  first  move  on  coming  to  Tokio 
is  to  get  a  house,  provided  the  government  has 
not  already  furnished  one  for  your  accommodation. 
This  undertaking  usually  assumes  ponderous  pro- 
portions before  success  crowns  your  efforts.  Natives 
do  not  like  to  let  good  houses  to  foreigners.  They 
abhor  the  tracking  of  muddy  shoes  over  their 
tatamis.  And  then  the  cjinsan  is  so  rough  in  hand- 
ling a  fragile  Japanese  house.  He  thrusts  the  pipe 
of  his  stove  through  a  wall  and  thus  greatly  in- 
creases the  risk  of  fire.  Then  he  knocks  down  a 
partition  so  as  to  have  a  large  dining-room,  and 
makes  a  big  hole  in  the  wall  by  backing  his  chair 
against  it  after  a  hearty  meal.  He  drives  about  a 
hundred  and  fifty  nails  into  the  posts  all  over  the 
house  in  order  to  hang  up  a  multitude  of  pictures, 
guns,  fishing-rods,  hats,  boots,  trowsers,  and  a 
myriad  of  other  things  indispensable  to  his  ideas 
of  comfort.  On  sundry  occasions  he  spits  tobacco 
juice  and  an  occasional  mouthful  of  hot  soup  upon 
the  tatamis.  And  he  invariably  keeps  a  brace  of 
dogs  that  are  perpetually  jumping  through  the 
shoJeeSy  measuring  their  heights  against  the  nicely 
papered  walls,  or  when  not  thus  engaged,  are  pur- 
suing botanical  investigations  by  tearing  up  the 
shrubbery    in    the    garden    and    digging    tunnels 


154  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

through  the  artificial  Fiijisatis,  As  I  just  remarked, 
you  will  find  it  difficult  to  get  a  house  at  all.  You 
finally  succeed  in  renting  one  on  Ban  Cho  or  Suruga- 
Dai  for  about  ten  or  twenty  dollars  per  month. 
You  usually  have  a  long  bicker  with  the  landlord, 
who  wishes  you  to  insure  the  premises  against  fire. 
He  tells  you  that  this  is  a  regulation  of  the  Tokio- 
Fu  (city  government),  and  that  all  cjinsatis  must 
comply  with  it  before  taking  a  house.  Steering 
clear  of  this  imposition,  you  finally  secure  the 
premises  upon  your  own  terms.  For  twenty  dol- 
lars you  can  get  a  fine  house  with  a  large  yard. 
You  then  invest  in  about  thirty  dollars'  worth  of 
furniture,  set  up  your  stove,  and  paper  up  all  the 
crevices.  A  few  panes  of  glass  along  the  shojccs 
looking  out  into  the  yard  complete  your  prepara- 
tions. You  generally  get  some  other  gentleman  to 
take  a  part  of  the  house,  and  you  keep  bachelor's 
hall  together.  Your  next  step  is  to  get  a  boy. 
You  walk  over  to  Yama-to-Yashiki  to  see  if  Peak's 
boy  can  recommend  one.  To  be  sure  he  can,  he 
has  a  friend  who  is  an  excellent  cook,  and  happens 
to  be  out  of  employment  because  his  master's  con- 
tract was  not*  renewed  by  the  Ko-Bu-Sho.  He 
shall  come  around  to-night.  His  wages?  Well, 
his  late  master  had  a  large  household  and  gave  him 
ten  dollars  per  month.  Ever  get  drunk?  Never! 
His  credentials?  Oh,  he  shall  bring  them  with  him 
to-night.  All  right.  Send  him  around  this  even- 
ing. Promptly  he  comes  in  his  best  clothes  and 
well-polished  top-knot.     You  and  your  chum  then 


TOKIO.  155 

form  yourselves  into  an  imposing  inquisitorial  com- 
mittee upon  character.  Albeit  you  consider  his 
appearance  somewhat  "  fishy,"  and  feel  morally  cer- 
tain that  he  has  borrowed  or  rented  his  credentials, 
you  nevertheless  engage  him  on  trial,  and  he  begins 
operations  by  blacking  your  boots  on  the  spot. 
Next  week  he  brings  his  family  around  and  stows 
them  away  out  of  sight  in  some  of  the  back  rooms. 
Thus  you  are  thoroughly  started  in  house-keeping. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  for  the  first  two  months 
you  are  deeply  engrossed  in  your  classes.  You 
teach  from  four  to  five  hours  per  day,  Saturday 
and  Sunday  being  free.  You  find  the  students 
quite  different  from  scholars  in  the  interior.  They 
are  more  forward  in  conversation,  being  not  so 
modest  or  timid  as  north-countrymen.  Some  of 
those  who  have  been  under  inferior  specimens  of 
instructors  are  rather  inclined  to  be  insolent  and 
intractable.  They  possess  little  of  the  deferential 
politeness  found  in  boys  who  have  never  come  in 
contact  with  the  libertines  of  the  Treaty  Ports. 
Having  access  to  libraries,  you  frequently  find  them 
plagiarizing  their  essays.  Considerable  vigilance  is 
required  in  detecting  these  frauds.  The  convicted 
party  usually  laughs  and  says  he  was  in  a  hurry 
last  Sunday  to  go  off  with  his  friends  and  see  the 
cherry  blossoms  at  Uyeno.  In  my  next  letter  I 
am  going  to  give  you  some  specimens  of  these 
compositions.  I  shall  also  give  you  a  fuller  ac- 
count of  the  schools  in  Japan,  as  space  will  not 
permit  in  this  letter. 


156  LE  TTERS  FROM  J  A  PAN. 

The  only  punishment  allowable  is  **  imposition" 
after  school  hours.  After  sentencing  a  precocious 
youth  to  copy  out  ten  pages  of  his  reader  before 
going  home  to  dinner,  you  find  him  very  indus- 
trious for  a  fortnight  or  so  thereafter.  The  most 
annoying  experience  connected  with  teaching  is 
trying  to  secure  punctual  and  regular  attendance. 
They  are  frequently  absent  from  recitations,  so 
that  you  have  to  be  very  exacting  with  them. 
Their  elastic  excuses  have  to  be  rigorously  reduced 
to  proportions  of  probability.  After  a  few  weeks* 
experience,  you  find  yourself  compelled  to  fix  a 
definite  limit  to  their  decimation  of  relatives.  You 
begin  to  insist  that  parents  are  to  die  but  once  a 
year ;  grandparents,  but  once  in  six  months ;  and 
immediate  relatives  are  to  be  sparingly  used  up,  as 
occasion  may  require.  And  the  ubiquitous  plea  of 
important  business  is  never  to  be  tolerated  without 
specific  definitions  in  writing. 

As  in  the  interior,  the  scholars  are  all  the  chil- 
dren of  samurai.  No  restriction  is  actually  placed 
on  the  admission  of  the  children  of  the  lower 
classes;  but,  partly  from  the  lack  of  appreciation 
of  the  value  of  education,  and  partly  from  social 
antipathy  resulting  from  centuries  of  prerogative, 
the  children  of  the  lower  classes  are  unable  to 
derive  much  benefit  at  present  from  the  schools 
patronized  by  young  bloods.  This,  of  course, 
makes  it  pleasanter  for  the  teacher ;  for  the  samurai 
are  not  only  more  cleanly  in  their  habits,  but  also 
much  superior  as  regards  breeding  and  intelligence. 


TOKIO.  I  5  7 

This  is  the  result  of  centuries  of  superior  advan- 
tages. 

As  a  rule,  the  scholars  dress  in  native  costumes, 
and  they  look  much  better  this  way.  The  first 
appearance  of  a  small  boy  in  coat-tails  and  tight 
trowsers  is  quite  paralyzing. 

Nevertheless,  you  soon  become  really  attached 
to  your  class.  You  find  many  excellent  specimens 
of  young  men.  Some  of  my  most  intimate  ac- 
quaintances have  been  among  my  scholars.  While 
freely  associating  with  them,  1  have  never  known 
them  to  presume  upon  my  friendship. 

Outside  of  school  hours,  the  time  of  the  foreign 
instructor  in  Tokio  is  variously  spent.  In  winter, 
he  will  hurry  off  home,  toast  his  feet  at  a  stove, 
and  read  until  dinner  time.  After  this,  perchance, 
he  will  go  over  to  Yama-to-Yashiki  and  play  chess 
with  Peaks ;  or  he  may  possibly  prefer  to  walk 
down  Ban-Cho,  and  have  a  delicious  season  of  gossip 
with  his  colleagues  respecting  the  probability  of 
getting  a  "  rise  **  at  the  end  of  the  year.  An  oc- 
casional evening  spent  in  solemn  conclave  with  his 
chum  in  investigating  the  boy's  accounts,  and  blow- 
ing him  up  roundly  for  cheating,  seems  to  give 
much  zest  to  one's  mental  tone. 

About  once  a  week  he  gives  a  "stag"  dinner  or 
attends  one.  Should  time,  however,  be  still  hang- 
ing heavily,  he  can  go  down  to  Tsukidji  and  call  on 
the  latest  arrival  of  young  ladies;  and  should  his 
taste  for  this  species  of  diversion  be  strong,  he  can 
occasionally  journey  on  to  Yokohama  and  shed  his 


158  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

beams  on  the  most  radiant  localities  along  the 
Bluffs. 

As  spring  comes  on,  he  begins  to  spend  his  after- 
noons in  visiting  places  of  interest.  He  will  first 
go  to  see  the  pleasure  gardens  of  the  emperor 
within  the  second  moat  of  the  castle.  A  Saturday 
afternoon  becomes  well  merged  in  the  gloaming 
before  the  lovely  lawns,  the  bamboo  groves,  the 
picturesque  tea-houses,  and  the  shadowy  cascades 
have  been  sufficiently  admired.  Another  afternoon 
can  be  profitably  spent  at  Hamagoten,  the  Imperial 
Gardens  on  the  shores  of  the  bay.  These  are 
smaller  than  the  former,  but  are  more  finished. 

When  the  cherry  groves  and  the  avenues  of 
Mukojima  are  in  full  bloom,  he  can  take  a  boat  up 
the  Sumida,  and  spend  a  delightful  afternoon  in 
walking  down  vistas  of  swaying  blossoms  that  over- 
hang the  river  banks  for  nearly  a  mile.  Hither 
flock  the  ^litc  of  Tokio  upon  every  sunny  after- 
noon, and  spread  themselves  out  for  an  unlimited 
treat  of  tea  and  cakes  upon  the  verandas  of  the 
tea-houses  that  line  the  river,  or  upon  the  stone 
seats  amid  the  box-wood  copses. 

It  is  also  considered  the  "correct  thing"  to  visit 
the  native  theater  at  Shimabara  two  or  three  times 
during  the  season.  The  play  commences  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  and  closes  at  six  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  frequently  requiring  many  days  to 
render  a  single  tragedy.  The  natives  take  their 
dinners  along  with  them  and  eat  in  the  building. 
The    Japanese    are     consummate    actors.      Their 


TOKIO,  159 

farces  and  comedies  are  capital.  The  tragic  acting, 
however,  I  can  not  say  so  much  for.  There  is  so 
much  sameness  and  bloodshed  connected  with  it 
that  you  never  care  to  see  much  of  it.  The 
enunciation  is  very  clear  and  distinct.  The  ges- 
tures, from  a  Japanese  stand-point,  are  certainly  ex- 
cellent. The  tragic  portions  of  their  plots  are  very 
monotonous.  It  is  usually  the  same  old  story.  A 
hot-blooded  samurai  becomes  insulted  in  some  un- 
pardonable manner — although  as  to  what  consti- 
tutes an  insult  in  the  eyes  of  a  young  top-knot 
thirsting  for  glory  is  by  no  means  clear.  A  solemn 
gathering  of  friends  then  takes  place,  and  the 
frightful  provocation  is  duly  discussed.  After  the 
regulation  amount  of  **  ftarahodoiftgy'  the  wrathful 
Don  Quixote  furiously  announces  his  determina- 
tion for  blood,  b-1-l-o-o-d!  Nobly  said  !  Blood  must 
be  had!  Sticking  his  vengeful  blade  into  his  belt, 
he  then  swaggers  off  to  find  his  enemy,  who  is 
usually  accommodating  enough  to  be  asleep,  or  up 
to  his  chin  boiling  in  a  bath-tub.  An  amount  of 
promiscuous  chopping  and  scientific  hacking  then 
ensues  that  is  supposed  to  thrill  the  soul  of  chivalry 
with  the  very  essence  of  admiration.  Arms,  legs, 
thumbs,  ears,  slices  of  calf  and  thigh  strew  the 
stage,  to  the  unbounded  approbation  of  the  enrapt- 
ured house.  And  during  this  scuffle  the  stage-boy 
(supposed  to  be  invisible)  comes  out  and  removes 
the  clogs  that  have  been  kicked  off  by  the  furious 
combatants,  so  as  to  have  them  ready  for  the  next 
scene.     After  this,  the  hero  himself  becomes  the 


l6o  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

victim,  to  the  unfeigned  grief  of  the  old  ladies  in 
the  pit,  for  the  friends  of  the  minced  man  take  up 
the  quarrel,  and  arise  in  wrathful  indignation  and 
smite  the  slayer  some  dark  night,  make  an  elaborate 
example  of  him  as  he  had  done  with  his  enemy, 
and  then  tumble  the  remains  into  a  river  repre- 
sented by  a  painted  board ;  while  the  moon,  repre- 
sented by  a  round  paper  lantern,  is  let  down  from 
the  roof,  and  the  scene  looks  melancholy  enough 
amid  the  tolling  of  the  monastery  bells.  So  the 
quarrel,  thu5  thoroughly  inaugurated,  is  taken  up 
by  the  relatives,  and  mutual  extermination  horrifies 
the  house  for  weeks  to  come.  The  tragedy  usually 
ends  at  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
Then  a  farce  is  acted,  so  as  to  restore  cheerfulness 
to  the  house  before  breaking  up  for  the  day. 

We  Americans  here  usually  celebrate  the  Fourth 
of  July.  We  sometimes  have  a  ball  at  the  Lega- 
tion, or  have  a  dinner  at  the  Uyeno  Park.  These 
occasions  are  always  exceedingly  jolly. 

Our  summer  vacations  we  usually  spend  in  trav- 
eling. I  will  make  this  the  subject  of  a  future 
letter. 

After  a  stay  of  two  years  in  Tokio  you  begin  to 
find  the  time  hanging  very  heavily.  You  have  ex- 
hausted all  the  pleasure  to  be  derived  from  wrest- 
ling, horse-racing,  and  theatricals.  Your  study  of 
the  native  literature  has  reached  that  point  where 
you  find  it  destitute  of  elevating  thought.  You 
settle  down  to  reading  the  history  of  the  country 
and  keeping  up  with  the  news  of  the  day.    You  do 


TOKIO.  l6l 

everything  mechanically,  and  it  becomes  difficult 
to  entice  you  out  of  your  den.  A  kind  of  indolent 
mental  torpor  seems  to  settle  down  upon  you. 
You  derive  infinite  comfort  from  loafing  on  your 
veranda,  dozing  over  the  last  home  mail,  and  dis- 
cussing the  latest  scandal.  Old  residents  here  are 
rare  gossips.  But  thanks  to  the  letters  I  have  to 
write  to  you,  I  hope  not  to  drift  into  this  imbecile 
method  of  thought.  I  trust  that  I  shall  not  de- 
velop any  remarkable  keenness  in  becoming  con- 
versant with  the  private  affairs  of  the  community 
at  large. 

I  certainly  shall  not  become  a  member  of  that 
"outside  committee"  that  sits  in  judgment  on 
every  breath  of  scandal,  and  constitutes  a  most  in- 
defatigable agency  for  the  propagation  thereof. 

I  think  I  have  answered  all  your  questions. 
Resting  assured  that  I  have  endeavored  to  do  so,  I 
am, 

Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


LETTER  X. 

SCHOOL-TEACHING   IN  TOKIO. 

TOKIO,  /u/y  lO,  1875. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus  : 

In  my  last  letter  I  promised  to  tell  you  a  little 
more  about  school-teaching  here. 

In  no  part  of  Japan  are  the  schools  so  thor- 
oughly organized  as  they  are  in  Tokio.  The  for- 
eigners connected  with  the  schools  in  Japan  num- 
ber about  a  hundred.  Of  these,  at  least  fifty  are 
here  in  the  metropolis.  The  highest  salary  paid  is 
nine  hundred  dollars  per  month.  This  sum  is  paid 
to  the  heads  of  the  engineering  and  educational  de- 
partments. One  of  these  gentlemen  is  a  Scotch- 
man, and  the  other  is  an  American. 

The  professors  in  the  colleges  receive  between 
two  hundred  and  fifty  and  four  hundred  dollars  per 
month.  The  usual  salary  for  teaching  English  is 
about  two  thousand  dollars  per  year. 

Of  course  these  high  salaries  will  not  last  many 
years.  As  educated  Japanese  return  from  abroad, 
the  number  of  Europeans  in  government  employ 
will  be  gradually  reduced,  and  in  twenty-five 
years  I  doubt  if  there  will  be  a  dozen  Europeans 
in  the  schools  here. 


SCHOOL-TEACHING  IN   TOKIO.  1 63 

The  government  has  also  established  schools  in 
Yokohama,  Nagasaki,  Osaca,  Niigata,  Kioto,  and  a 
few  inland  .cities.  But  the  number  of  European 
teachers  in  each  of  these  places  will  not  exceed  six  ; 
and  in  some  of  them  only  one  is  stationed.  This 
estimate,  of  course,  does  not  include  private  schools 
and  mission  schools. 

The  expense  of  keeping  up  this  school  system 
cannot  cost  the  government  less  than  half  a  mill- 
ion dollars  per  year.  All  the  books,  charts,  globes, 
ink,  pens,  and  the  usual  school  apparatus  are  im- 
ported. They  are  furnished  to  the  scholars  at  al- 
most nominal  prices.  The  tuition  is  free.  A 
Japanese  student  pays  from  seventy-five  cents  to 
two  dollars  per  month.  There  is  but  one  school 
that  charges  two  dollars,  for  very  few  can  afford  to 
pay  this  sum  outside  of  their  personal  expendi- 
tures. 

Instruction  is  conducted  altogether  in  English. 
A  new  class  will  at  first  have  some  difficulty  in 
comprehending  you.  But  after  a  few  weeks  they 
master  the  phraseology  and  technical  terms  of  each 
branch  of  study  so  as  to  be  able  to  recite  and  con- 
verse very  intelligently.  Conversation  here  is  made 
a  special  study.  Text-books  have  been  prepared 
containing  English  idioms  and  phrases.  Some  of 
these  books  have  been  compiled  by  native  authors ; 
and  some  of  the  expressions  therein  used  are  very 
amusing. 

In  teaching,  you  will  find  the  scholars  very  tract- 
able.    The   teachers  are  not  allowed  to  chastise. 


164  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

This  method  of  suasion,  in  fact,  is  a  species  of  bar- 
barism that  they  have  not  yet  copied  from  our 
civilized  home  schools.  It  never  pays  to  lose  tem- 
per or  patience  with  Japanese.  They  have  a  thor- 
ough contempt  for  any  one  unable  to  control  him- 
self. In  managing  your  classes,  the  most  effective 
instrument  is  a  mild  touch  of  irony  or  sarcasm 
judiciously  administered.  They  are  as  sensitive  to 
this  as  mettlesome  horses  are  to  the  touch  of  a 
lash.  But  if  too  often  used,  you  will  soon  find  the 
tables  turned,  for  they  also  are  expert  at  this  kind 
of  thing. 

When  a  boy  is  incorrigibly  lazy,  you  will  find  it 
an  excellent  idea  to  keep  him  standing  an  hour  or 
so  at  the  map  trying  to  find  obscure  places.  Should 
he  attempt  to  lean  against  a  desk,  gently  call  his 
attention  to  the  fact  that  government  property  was 
not  made  for  such  purposes.  Should  he  attempt 
to  lean  against  the  wall,  intimate  that  both  his  per- 
son and  the  wall  will  become  thereby  soiled, — a  re- 
sult not  to  be  desired,  because  of  the  financial  con- 
dition of  the  country  at  large.  The  unhappy  youth 
then  continues  his  work  with  great  melancholy  and 
lack  of  enthusiasm. 

The  ages  of  my  scholars  average  fifteen.  They 
are  all  of  the  samurai  class.  As  a  rule,  they  are 
very  polite  and  docile.  They  are  particularly  clever 
in  mathematics.  In  grammar  and  analysis  they 
stand  well.  In  applied  English  they  are  fair.  In 
Japanese  and  Chinese  they  are  instructed  by  native 
teachers,  and,  as  a  rule,  are  good. 


SCHOOL-TEACHING  IN  TOKIO.  1 65 

They  do  not  board  in  the  school,  but  come  from 
considerable  distances.  Some  of  them  live  four 
miles  off,  and  most  of  them  live  at  a  distance  of 
two  miles.  They  always  walk  back  and  forth. 
At  a  quarter  to  nine  every  morning  you  hear  the 
ceaseless  clatter  of  about  two  hundred  pairs  of 
clogs  coming  through  the  massive  gateway.  Their 
lunch  is  a  ball  of  cold  rice  with  the  inevitable  salt 
radish  and  fish.  They  are  hard  students,  but  I 
do  not  think  their  diet  will  allow  them  to  stand  as 
much  continuous  hard  study  as  our  students  at 
home  can  stand.  They  are  much  troubled  with 
weak  eyes.  They  use  candle-light  mostly  ;  some 
use  kerosene  lamps. 

I  find  it  very  interesting  teaching  them  applied 
English.  They  have  innumerable  questions  to  ask 
about  our  institutions  and  customs.  They  also 
ask  very  many  questions  about  Christianity.  I 
never  knew  how  thoroughly  saturated  our  literature 
and  history  were  with  Christian  thought  and  senti- 
ment until  I  began  to  teach  these  people.  Some 
of  the  pages  in  a  poem  or  review  will  require  so 
much  explanation  that  my  teaching  almost  becomes 
a  Bible  lesson.  The  use  of  the  term  Creator,  or 
nature's  first  cause,  will  suggest  a  line  of  inquiry 
that  will  take  up  an  hour  easily.  Why  do  the 
books  speak  of  a  Creator?  Because  the  average 
reasoning  community  in  Christian  countries  accept 
the  fact  that  there  is  one.  Can  they  prove  this? 
They  can  prove  it  so  as  to  satisfy  reasonable  belief. 
How  ?     By  the  theory  of  probabilities.     There  are 


1 66  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

two  suppositions.  Either  all  things  came  by  chance, 
or  they  came  by  design.  Now  is  it  more  probable 
that  the  vast  machinery  of  the  universe  came  by 
chance  or  by  design  ?  By  design,  of  course.  Then 
docs  not  design  betoken  intelligence?  And  does 
not  intelligent  designing  betoken  a  Creator?  Yes. 
Then  is  it  not  the  most  probable  and  reasonable 
theory  that  the  world  was  made  by  a  Creator  ?  To 
this  they  readily  assent.  But  then  comes  a  flood 
of  questions  about  Christianity.  Why  should 
Christianity  be  called  the  true  religion?  Because 
it  contains  the  most  perfect  code  of  morality.  If 
Jhe  Creator  made  man  with  such  vast  powers  for 
good  and  evil,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
he  would  give  him  a  law  whereby  to  regulate  his 
thoughts  and  actions?  And  does  not  Christianity 
answer  this  purpose  perfectly?  Can  you  compare 
Buddhism  and  Brahminism  with  it  ?  Compare  those 
countries  that  have  been  under  Buddhism  and 
Brahminism  with  those  that  have  been  under 
Christianity,  and  will  you  not  find  the  Christian 
ones  much  more  elevated  ?  Then  is  it  not  reason- 
able and  probable  to  suppose  that  the  Creator  gave 
the  Christian  religion  to  man  ?  And  when  the 
Bible  itself  calls  it  the  true  religion,  why  should  we 
not  believe  it? 

They  are  so  ready  to  ask  questions  on  these 
points  that  you  sometimes  are  obliged  to  check 
them.  Some  of  them  have  read  Mills  and  other 
infidel  authors,  and  are  well  up  in  all  the  hack- 
neyed   objections.     They  are   very  quick   to    see 


SCHOOL-TEACHING  IN   TOKIO.  1 67 

single  points,  but  they  do  not  follow  a  succes- 
sion of  points  down  to  a  conclusion  tenaciously 
or  logically.  They  are  clear  and  bright,  and 
can  suggest  difficulties  about  as  easily  as  they  can 
breathe.  But  they  are  always  ready  to  laugh  at 
their  exposed  fallacies,  and  are  very  good-natured 
under  rough  handling.  They  possess  any  amount 
of  self  confidence,  and  are  always  ready  to  enter 
upon  the  discussion  of  any  subject  that  may  arise. 
The  nonchalance  and  eagerness  with  which  they 
discuss  weighty  subjects  is  interesting.  If  they 
fail  to  carry  a  point,  they  are  rather  amused  at  hav- 
ing made  as  good  a  fight  as  they  did.  When  a 
hard  lesson  is  on  hand,  some  of  them  are  rather 
inclined  to  talk  against  time. 

During  the  midday  recess,  they  are  as  noisy  as 
you  please.  They  romp  all  over  the  school-yard 
playing  tag.  With  their  petticoats  on,  they  look 
more  like  a  lot  of  girls  at  play.  Some  of  the  pleas- 
ure-loving ones  are  apt  to  slip  off  and  cut  the 
afternoon  session.  They  dearly  love  to  go  with  their 
friends  to  the  tea  gardens  at  Mukojimaand  Uyeno, 
where  they  can  discuss  tobacco  and  foreigners  with 
endless  comments.  It  takes  a  long  time  to  break 
them  of  this  habit.  They  are  puzzled  to  know  why 
the  teacher  should  care  about  this  regular  attend- 
ance so  long  as  he  is  paid  -anyway.  One  of  the 
boys  was  incorrigible  on  this  point,  and  as  a  punish- 
ment he  was  sentenced  by  one  of  the  teachers  to 
stay  after  school  and  write  a  composition  on  idle- 
ness.    The  youth  evidently  never  exerted  himself 


1 68  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

to  do  justice  to  the  subject.     Here  is  a  verbatim 
copy  of  this  remarkable  document : 

"  IDLENESS. 

*'  I  have  a  very  great  refuse  for  the  letter,  Idle- 
ness, which  now  I  made  up  the  composition ;  be- 
cause the  idleness  prevented  for  a  task  of  all  the 
people,  and  he  was  persuaded  to  induce  in  his  idle 
party,  but  was  never  fall  on  his  hand.  When  I  was 
learning  in  any  private  school  at  last  year,  any  idle 
came  to  my  room,  how  do  you  not  swing  in  a  play 
place  ?  *  he  sales.*  Yeas'  I  reply  and  I  did  so  that 
with  he.  how  do  you  not  take  a  walk  in  a  street  ? 
again,  yeas  I  reply,  and  soon,  how  do  you  not  see 
a  spectacle  ?  he  **  sales "  too  again,  no  !  then  I 
reply,  how  do  you  not  go  an  eating  house?  he 
"sales"  too  more,  no!  reply  I.  when  all  pupil 
recite  a  meaning  for  each  lesson,  he  sales  always  I 
cannot,  or  I  did  not  prepare  !  **  why  do  you  not  so 
study  "  I  asked,  because  I  can  not  endure  heat 
or  cold  "  he  sales,  I  dleam  all  sales  thus,  therefore 
he  spends  the  gold  hour  in  vain,  and  he  could  not 
succeed  his  purpose  wherefore  I  was  very  refused  to 
describe  it. 

*'  Diligent  men  were  overpower  on  a  poverty, 
heat,  cold." 

Another  naughty  boy  produced  this  on  the  same 
subject : 

"  IDLENESS. 

"  There  are  an  Idleness  and  Industrious  in  the 


SCHOOL-TEACHING  IN   TOKIO.  1 69 

world  and  Idleness  is  more  than  Industrious,  but  in 
the  uncivilized  countries  is  not  so  much  because 
this  would  studies  for  several  lesson — and  to  dis- 
cover for  several  thing  and  food  which  is  very  good 
for  bodies  and  shall  not  become  to  Idleness  but 
while  is  very  Idlemen  I  supposed  that  it  shall  be- 
come &  industrious  from  their  character  if  their 
father  and  mother  shall  be  right  character  and  also 
right  conscience.  In  Japan  the  food  is  very  as  you 
know — and  Idlemen  shall  never  move  and  go  to 
play  to  and  for  when  they  finished  to  eat  food,  as 
soon'  shall  sleep  therefore  in  Japan  Idleness  are 
there  gpreat  but  Japanese  commenced  to  civilization 
therefore  Idlemen  becamed  to  little  number  and 
their  begun  to  go  to  school. 

"  This  composition  is  bad  and  mistaken  to  not 
know  the  meaning  of  Idleness  and  I  was  sick  there- 
fore can  not  so  good  but  I  think  always,  it  is 
wrong." 

Every  Monday  morning  the  whole  school  must 
bring  in  compositions.  Some  of  the  scholars  are 
very  nice  writers.  The  penmanship  usually  is  very 
fine.  Some  compose  as  well  as  boys  of  a  corre- 
sponding age  at  home.  They  are,  of  course,  not  al- 
ways idiomatic,  but  the  pleasure-loving  ones  do 
not  make  a  very  brilliant  success  at  this  essay 
writing.  Saturday  and  Sunday  they  spend  in  hav- 
ing a  good  time  with  their  companions,  then 
they  get  a  book  and  craftily  plagiarize  some  sen- 
tences hurriedly  selected.     I  send  you  literal  copies 


I  70  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

of  some  of  these  essays  sent  in  by  the  notorious 
truants  of  our  school.  They  should  serve  as  a  ter- 
rible warning  to  lazy  boys  through  ^11  time  to 
come. 

NO.  I. — COMPOSITION  ON  THE  BENEFITS  OF  POLICE. 

"  Police  is  a  warlike  and  brave  man  and  he  have 
big  and  long  stick  with  which  he  defenses  a  blow 
of  a  robber.  Activity  of  a  police  is  alway  noticed 
in  every  newspaper.  The  most  warlike  and  bravest 
fights  eighteen  robbers  who  were  drest  with  the 
drawn  swords  and  he  defenses  himself  with  a  stick 
and  at  last,  he  takes  them  as  prisoners.  When 
there  is  a  fire  a  police  works  like  a  fireman  and 
tumbles  down  a  houses  with  his  stick.  A  police 
goes  before  a  person  who  carries  baggages  at  a  fire 
in  order  to  drive  away  the  spectators  so  that  he 
carries  them  easily  and  quickly.  If  a  person  pre- 
vents a  police's  or  a  fireman's  work,  the  police  beats 
him  or  uses  him  to  carry  the  water  or  to  push  a 
pump,  therefore  I  cannot  stand  heedlessly  by  see- 
ing a  fire." 


No.  2. 

Another  one  sent  in  the  following  poetry,  highly 
eulogistic  of  the  policemen  : 

"  We  can't  think  their  hardships  in  walking  when 

snowing  or  raining  without  rest. 
When  the  midnight  storm  disturb  our  dream. 
We  see  them  in  watch  under  nature's  dome : 


SCHOOL-TEACHING  IN   TOKIO.  171 

When  the  sun  begin  to  rise  in  his  majestic  light, 
We  meet  them  walking  regardless  severe  cold  of 
heat."     (!!!) 


No.  3. 

**  Police  is  the  regulation  of  city  or  policeman  is 
one  of  the  constabulary  force,  who  is  officer  in 
Japan  :  the  rule  are  make  very  hard  to  him,  be- 
cause in  the  among  them  like  an  idle  rosal,  (?)  but 
half  of  their  are  study,  and  so  I  think  so  that.  The 
police  man  is  very  much  necessary  for  the  people, 
because  he  is  defeat  in  city  for  every  days  and 
night,  when  the  policeman  saw  the  thief  or  bad 
man,  he  is  soonly  taken  prisoner  and  bringing  to 
the  station  of  police  then  they  are  wants  the  inves- 
tigation ;  also  here  is  a  foolish  man,  who  is  fall 
down  into  the  river  to  die,  it  is  very  scarcely  in 
Japan  ;  and  all  thing  of  street  engage  to  the  police  ; 
the  number  in  the  station  of  police  are  about  one 
hundred  and  number  of  about  eighteen  one  thou- 
sand, among  them  Satsuma,  Jesso  are  nearly  above 
them  engaged  to  him,  because  they  are  savage  and 
warlike  countries  people  in  Japan,  and  so  they  are 
strong  men  ;  then  the  foolish  man  or  thief  man 
less  than  the  an  ancient  time,  so  that  people  are 
glad  of  it." 


NO.  4. — HISTORY. 
**  History  is  most  important  for  a  human  to  re- 
member a  past  condition  of  ancient  world,  and  the 


I  72  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

history  is  one  kind  in  the  part  of  a  science,  there- 
fore when  a  man  learned  the  history  would  he  ani- 
mate his  intellect  ;  and  the  history  has  remarkable 
worth  for  a  education  that  is  led  to  goodness  a  peo- 
ple, the  reader  imargin  Napoleon,  Washington  & 
Taiko  they  how  do  that  do,  and  practice  their  good 
ccMiduct,  and  they  would  not  take  a  double  wrong 
for  a  old  instance.  But  have  no  history  in  barbaric 
country,  therefore  they  knows  nothing  but  savage 
or  fight ;  therefore  I  think  that  all  the  science 
would  had  been  led  from  the  history." 


NO.  5. — USES  OF  THE  ENGINEERING  COLLEGE. 

"College  of  Engineering  which  put  in  a  Japan 
that  it  is  used  for  countries  if  it  would  not  be  there 
people  can  not  have  mean  to  dig  gold,  silver,  iron 
and  other  metals  in  the  mountains  &  there  are  sev- 
eral way  of  the  science,  in  the  College  of  ingin^er- 
ing.  Now  shall  not  describe  of  name  &  mean  of 
the  science  for  have  no  time  because  I  had  my 
father  business.  We  shall  wish  to  enter  in  College 
of  Ingineering;  great  examination  for  next  year.'* 

In  closing  my  letter,  it  is  but  fair  to  remark  that 
but  few  compositions  are  so  atrocious  as  the  fore- 
going. 

Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


\d 


■UK    TllMR     np    Tnw-f(-.,\  \V  4     t\Vv.VS-     \Ik-k-(1     TPMPI.FLS. 


LETTER  XL 

A   SUMMER   VACATION, 

TOKIO,  September  lo,  1875. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

I  spent  my  last  vacation  in  making  a  tour 
through  the  interior.  This  is  about  the  only  way 
we  have  of  spending  our  holidays.  During  August 
there  is  a  general  exodus  of  foreigners  from  Tokio 
into  the  interior.  Some  of  us  journey  over  to  the 
west  coast.  Some  of  us  go  down  the  Nakasendo 
(Inland  Road),  or  Tokaido  (Coast  Road)  to  Kioto. 
Others  roam  through  the  mountains  of  Shinano  and 
Mino.  While  the  majority  visit  Hakon^,  Fujisan, 
and  Nikko.  We  do  not  have  any  great  centers  of 
fashionable  resort  like  Saratoga  and  Newport, 
where  the  sultry  summer  days  can  be  spent  in  sip- 
ping mineral  waters  and  lemonade  upon  cool  ve- 
randas and  shady  lawns.  Our  summer  recreations 
Bsually  consist  of  a  long  tramp  through  the  moun- 
tains. These  trips  require  much  preparation  and 
planning.  The  selection  of  a  route  occupies  at 
least  a  week.  Then  you  must  lay  in  a  supply  of 
canned  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  some  ham  and 
dried  beef  ;  and  you  must  look  up  a  traveling  com- 
panion with  whom  to  have  a  few  animated  discus- 


174  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

sions  upon  the  road.  The  natives  have  a  great 
advantage  over  us  in  making  these  excursions. 
They  merely  pick  up  their  heels  and  walk.  A 
handkerchief  will  hold  everything  they  need  on  the 
road,  and  they  are  the  best-natured  companions 
imaginable.  Being  very  fond  of  pilgrimages  to 
places  of  religious  note,  they  also  swarm  through 
the  country  during  the  summer.  The  objects  and 
places  of  veneration  are  varied.  Sometimes  it  is  a 
volcanic  cone  that  has  become  the  residence  of  a 
goddess;  sometimes  it  is  a  shrine  overlooking  a 
wild  ravine  ;  or,  perhaps,  it  is  a  cave  by  the  sea- 
shore, the  haunt  of  some  water-witch  ;  or  it  may 
be  a  lake  romantically  embosomed  amid  some  lofty 
ranges  where  a  gongcn^  or  mountain  spirit,  plays 
the  mischief  with  the  winds  and  the  rains,  sending 
them  storming  across  the  plains  with  fearful  fury 
unless  properly  propitiated  with  yearly  offerings. 

When  the  snow  has  melted  from  Fujisan,  thou- 
sands will  scale  its  stupendous  cone,  place  their  of- 
ferings beside  the  shrines  near  the  crater,  worship 
the  sun  as  he  rises  from  the  waves,  and  gaze  upon 
the  clouds  floating  thousands  of  feet  beneath. 
While  the  rice  is  yet  green  upon  the  stalks  and  the 
crops  are  maturing  for  the  autumnal  gleaning,  the 
worthy  peasant,  with  about  three  dollars  in  his 
pocket  for  traveling  expenses  and  religious  contri- 
butions, grasps  his  filleted  staff  and  sets  out  upon 
a  tramp  of  about  two  hundred  miles,  visiting  all 
places  of  sacred  interest  on  the  way ;  and  in  about 
a  fortnight  he   returns  with  sufficient  unction   to 


A    SUMMER    VACATIO^\  1 75 

last  a  year, — for  you  must  remember  that  the 
masses  are  devout.  Some  have  visited  all  the 
noted  shrines  in  the  empire,  taking  a  couple  of 
years  or  so  for  the  undertaking.  These  pilgrim- 
ages, however,  were  almost  entirely  confined  to  the 
lower  classes.  The  sa?nurai  rarely  felt  inclined  to 
go  tramping  and  sweating  over  the  country  at  the 
beck  of  sleek,  oily  priests  that  might  chance  to 
have  empty  coffers.  These  gentlemen  were  dis- 
posed to  be  fastidious  in  their  tastes,  visiting  only 
the  most  fashionable  places,  taking  their  own  time, 
and  abundantly  consulting  individual  comfort. 
Their  favorite  resort  was  the  celebrated  shrines  of 
Nikko,  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  central  moun- 
tain system  of  Japan,  about  ninety  miles  north  of 
Tokio.  The  locality  is  a  tangled  maze  of  glens, 
wild  ravines,  cascades,  woods,  temples,  and  moun- 
tain torrents.  All  the  streams  of  the  neighboring 
ranges  seem  to  meet  in  the  vicinity,  forming  a  de- 
lightfully cool  summer  retreat.  Ancient  supersti- 
tion has  fixed  this  as  the  abode  of  certain  gongen^ 
whose  patronage  is  greatly  to  be  desired,  and  whose 
wrath  must  be  assiduously  appeased.  The  uneasy 
hurricane  winds  that  dwell  in  the  misty  caverns  be- 
side Chiusenji  Lake  hard  by,  and  which  often  im- 
petuously sally  forth,  tearing  the  thatch  from  the 
roofs  and  flinging  the  grain  prostrate  in  the  mire, 
are  a  source  of  grievous  complaint,  and  need  fre- 
quent exorcisms  and  secret  ceremonies  to  secure 
them  within  their  dripping  chambers. 

The  shrines  of  Nikko  are  unparalleled  for  sym- 


I  76  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

metry  of  proportion,  elegance  and  variety  of  de- 
sign, and  richness  of  lacquering. 

As  these  temples  were  on  my  summer  pro- 
gramme, I  will  now  allow  the  pages  of  my  journal 
to  describe  my  visit  to  them.  I  also  hope  that  you 
will  get  something  of  an  idea  how  we  spend  our 
vacations  here. 

July  23. — Not  yet  daylight.  We  must  be  ofif 
so  as  to  avoid  the  heat  of  the  day.  Have  routed 
Jack  out  of  bed.  We  send  the  boy  on  ahead 
so  as  to  have  dinner  ready  for  us  at  midday. 
Our  clothing  and  provisions  are  stowed  in  a  sep- 
arate jinriksha.  Off  at  last !  We  are  far  beyond 
Uyeno  before  the  chill  has  begun  to  leave  the 
morning  air.  A  few  early  risers  are  sliding  back 
their  doors  and  rendering  the  premises  vocal  with 
their  stentorian  yawnings.  We  run  along  the 
Oshiukaido  for  about  eighteen  miles.  The  road  is 
flanked  by  paddy  fields  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 
Take  dinner  at  a  village.  The  butter  and  the  currie 
powder  got  hopelessly  mixed  up  by  the  breaking 
of  the  bottles.  We  sit  on  the  mats  and  dine  off 
bread,  roast  chicken,  and  cheese.  Small  boy  is 
watching  us  through  the  fence.  Jack  asks  him  if 
he  is  hungry.  Boy  wilts.  Jack  wonders  why 
foreigners  can  not  make  a  living  off  rice.  He  tries 
some.  Jack  ceases  to  wonder.  Jack  tries  to  eat 
with  chop-sticks.  Landlady  laughs.  She  wants  to 
taste  the  pickled  cabbage  and  crackers.  Pro- 
nounces them  kekko  (splendid).  Boy  then  washes 
the  knives  and  forks,  and  wc   are   ready  to   start 


j4  summer  vacation,  177 

again.  Call  for  the  bill.  It  is  four  times  too  much. 
Jack  mildly  expostulates  with  the  landlord.  He 
replies  that  all  foreigners  pay  such  prices.  Jack 
says  he  is  not  a  fool,  and  advises  the  landlord  not 
to  be  one.  The  landlord  then  comes  down  one- 
half.  Jack  then  says  that  he  is  a  Mombusho  official 
of  the  seventh  grade,  and  threatens  to  report  the 
extortion  at  Tokio.  Landlord  then  comes  to  terms. 
We  prepare  to  depart.  The  landlord  and  his 
family  then  escort  us  to  the  street  and  request  us 
to  patronize  them  on  our  return.  Continue  our 
journey.  Road  much  the  same  as  in  the  morning. 
Villages  numerous.  The  summer  costume  of  peo- 
ple similar  to  that  prevailing  around  Hirosaki.  The 
men  have  only  three  feet  of  narrow  cloth  about  the 
waist.  Only  the  lower  classes  are  thus  exposed. 
At  dusk  we  reach  a  large  village  on  the  banks  of 
the  Ton^gawa.  Cross  in  a  flat-bottomed  boat. 
Spend  the  night  at  a  small  village  on  the  other 
bank.  Sleep  under  a  net.  Find  the  native  pillows 
very  hard.  Are  much  bothered  with  a  bad  odor 
from  the  drains.  We  request  the  rain-doors  to  be 
left  open  all  night.  The  landlady  says  she  is  afraid 
the  dogs  will  come  in.  But  we  carry  our  point.  At 
midnight  I  am  awaked  by  the  foulness  of  the  air, 
and  find  she  has  slyly  shut  them.  Open  them 
again. 

Jiily  24. — Breakfasted  at  daylight.  The  road 
merges  into  a  cool  and  lovely  avenue  of  pine  trees. 
The  country  is  becoming  more  interesting.  It  un- 
dulates  gradually  toward   the   distant   mountains. 


I  yS  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Wheat  fields  and  wood  lands  take  the  place  of  rice 
flats.  Our  road  is  now  a  stately  vista  that  winds 
like  a  serpent  across  the  fields  and  through  the 
woods.  With  but  trifling  interruptions,  it  continues 
for  fifty  miles  until  it  loses  itself  in  the  mountains. 
We  walk  and  eat  water-melons.  The  swarded 
banks  beside  the  road  make  lovely  seats.  It's 
getting  warm.  We  reduce  our  toilette  down  to 
trowsers  and  singlets.  Every  mile  or  so  we  quaff 
hot  tea  at  little  booths  beneath  the  trees.  Jack 
keeps  up  his  smoking.  Japanese  dogs  are  spoilt. 
They  lie  right  in  the  road,  and  never  think  of 
getting  out  of  the  way.  The  kind-hearted  coolies 
never  think  of  hurting  them,  and  always  pull 
their  vehicles  to  one  side.  Then  they  scold  the 
dog,  and  he  wags  his  tail.  Jack  takes  a  load  of 
pebbles  and  keeps  distributing  them  in  advance. 
Effect  good.  One  pampered  hound,  fiowever,  re- 
fuses to  stir.  The  coolies  turn  to  one  side.  But 
the  wheel  of  Jack's  vehicle  passes  over  the  gently 
wagging  tail.  Dog  went  to  the  top  of  the  embank- 
ment at  one  leap.  Seemed  to  be  completely  de- 
moralized and  discouraged.  Everybody  regards  it 
as  the  best  joke  of  the  season — dog  excepted. 
Reach  Utso-no-miya  at  dusk.  Only  fourteen  miles 
from  Nikko.  We  wait  a  couple  of  hours  for  them 
to  change  the  water  in  the  bath-tub.  While  this  is 
being  done,  we  hear  a  tremendous  row  downstairs. 
.  A  large  party  of  foreigners  from  Tokio  are  having 
a  row  with  their  coolies.  They  are  not  fluent  in 
the  vernacular,  and  the  coolies  are  trying  to  impose 


A    SUMMER    VACATION,  1 79 

upon  them.  Thus  it  is  the  world  over.  Cheat  the 
stranger !  Fleece  him !  Consider  him  legitimate 
plunder!     Curtain  falls. 

July  25. — The  landlord  says  we  are  twenty-two 
miles  from  Nikko.  Distances  in  Japan  are  elastic. 
The  avenue  becomes  yet  more  imposing.  Its  deep 
shade  is  cooled  by  the  streamlets  bubbling  along 
the  roadside.  Meet  a  couple  of  colleagues  return- 
ing to  Tokio.  We  reach  the  village  by  midday. 
The  shrines  are  beyond  it.  The  village  is  situated 
upon  a  long  slope,  and  in  itself  is  not  interesting. 
A  stream  from  the  hiountains  comes  tumbling 
down  through  the  middle  of  the  street.  It  forms 
a  convenient  reservoir  for  the  town.  Quite  a  num- 
ber of  fox,  hare,  and  deer  skins  are  exposed  for  sale 
in  the  shops.  Our  pretty  hotel  is  some  distance  up 
town.  The  terms  are  seventy-five  cents  a  day.  A 
native  would  pay  less  than  half  this  sum.  There's 
no  help.  All  the  hotel  keepers  are  in  league.  Civ- 
ilization is  gradually  striking  in. 

July  26. — We  start  off  to  see  the  far-famed  tem- 
ples. They  are  buried  in  deep  forests  about  a  mile 
up  the  mountain  side.  Passing  up  to  the  end  of  the 
long,  straggling  street,  we  come  to  a  wild  ravine 
through  which  fiercely  rushes  a  frothing  torrent 
from  the  highlands.  Two  bridges  span  the  chasm. 
One  is  intended  for  common  use.  The  other  was 
intended  for  the  Shogun  and  his  envoys.  It  is 
finished  off  with  the  finest  red  lacquer.  The  guide* 
book  (I  wish  all  journals  would  specify  what  por- 
tions  are   derived   from   guide  books)    narrates   a 


l80  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

curious  legend  about  this  gorge.  Shodo  Shionin,  a 
Buddhist  priest  of  the  eighth  century,  chanced  to 
pass  this  way  with  his  disciples.  He  saw  no 
bridge,  and  found  it  impossible  to  ford  the  boiling 
rapids,  rendered  doubly  dangerous  by  the  timber 
plunging  amid  the  eddies.  While  supplicating  the 
gods  to  extricate  him  from  this  dilemma,  he  indis- 
tinctly beheld  through  the  mist  the  god  Shinsha 
Daio,  on  the  opposite  shore,  holding  two  green  and 
red  snakes  which  he  cast  over  the  abyss.  A  long 
bridge  instantly  spanned  the  flood  **  like  a  rainbow 
floating  among  the  hills,"  The  bewildered  priest 
was  inclined  to  doubt  his  senses,  but  seeing  the 
grass  growing  between  the  planks,  he  was  con- 
vinced, and  passed  over.  Immediately  after  cross- 
ing they  were  astonished  to  find  that  the  bridge, 
the  grass,  and  the  god  had  vanished ! 

From  this  sacred  bridge  many  paths  branch 
away  in  all  directions,  leading  to  numberless  roman- 
tic spots  hidden  away  in  the  deep  gloom  of  the 
groves.  For  miles  around,  wherever  a  cascade 
dashes  down  some  sequestered  ravine  ;  wherever  a 
mountain  stream,  widening  in  the  glens,  gives 
glimpses  of  unusual  beauty;  wherever  some  spring, 
slipping  from  the  oozy  fissures  beneath  some  crag, 
comes  tumbling  down  the  vale — there  you  will  find 
fantastic  shrines  in  honor  of  some  saint  or  gongen. 
Weeks  could  be  spent  in  following  up  these  various 
paths.  Following  the  road  up  for  some  distance 
through  the  woods  we  come  to  the  temples  of 
lyeyas.     They  are  built  upon  four  terraces  on  the 


A    SUMMER    VACATION.  l8l 

mountain  side.  The  terraces  are  about  fifteen  feet 
above  each  other,  and  are  connected  by  flights  of 
stone  steps.  Cryptomeria  groves  of  superb  propor- 
tions cast  a  deep  shade  over  the  place.  The  en- 
tire premises  are  surrounded  with  a  wooden  wall 
lacquered  in  red  and  capped  with  bronze  tiles. 
There  are  ten  main  buildings  scattered  over  the 
different  terraces,  besides  many  smaller  ones.  All 
are  built  of  kayake,  the  finest  hard  wood  in  Japan. 
All  are  roofed  with  thin  bronze  tiles,  and  all  are  so 
elaborately  lacquered  and  gilded  that  none  of  the 
underlying  wood-work  is  to  be  seen.  The  natives 
say  that  it  took  a  boat-load  of  gold  from  Sendai  to 
furnish  the  gilding.  However  that  may  be,  it  is 
certain  that  the  resources  of  the  empire  were  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  builders. 

The  first  terrace  is  approached  by  a  long,  sloping 
vista.  On  this  terrace  we  find  an  elegant  vermil- 
ion-colored pagoda.  It  is  covered  with  the  gilded 
crests  of  Tokugawa.  A  large  granite  torii  (bird- 
perch)  and  some  tea  booths  constitute  the  remain- 
ing structures. 

We  enter  the  second  terrace  through  a  handsome 
gateway.  Before  us  are  three  structures  of  exquis- 
ite proportions  and  finish.  In  them  were  stored 
the  paraphernalia  and  Sanskrit  literature  of  the 
temples  {Guide  Book),  Also,  when  the  Shogun 
came  to  worship  the  shades  of  the  great  lyeyas, 
his  retainers  tarried  therein,  while  their  **  barbarian 
exterminating  lord  "  went  up  to  the  private  chapel 
on  the  fourth  terrace.     But  the  building  that  in- 


1 8  2  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

variably  excites  the  stranger's  keenest  interest  is 
the  very  stylish  stable  used  by  my  lord's  horse.  It 
is  elegantly  made.  Each  rafter  is  tipped  with  orna- 
mented brass  and  stamped  with  the  royal  crest.  It 
is  so  thoroughly  exhausted  by  the  guide-book  that 
I  shall  not  describe  it.  My  only  regret  is  that  such 
sumptuous  accommodations  should  have  been  pro- 
vided for  a  knavish  betto  and  a  vile,  hammer-headed 
pony. 

Passing  under  a  massive  bronze  torii  we  enter  the 
third  terrace.  On  either  hand  stands  a  graceful, 
airy  belfry,  faultless  as  regards  symmetry  and 
shape.  Several  bronze  lanterns  are  arranged  along 
the  side.  During  the  summer  festivals,  when  the 
ceremonies  were  prolonged  beyond  twilight,  they 
were  lit  up.  Here  also  are  some  massive  bronze 
candelabra  presented  by  the  Dutch.  The  guide- 
book suggests  that  they  were  sacked  from  some 
Roman  Catholic  cathedral  in  the  Spanish  Nether- 
lands during  the  wars  between  the  Catholics  and 
the  Reformers. 

The  fourth  terrace  is  enclosed  by  a  paneled  wall 
about  eight  feet  high,  abounding  with  decorations. 
Before  us  stands  the  famous  Yomei  gate.  (See 
frontispiece.)  It  has  exhausted  the  art  and  inge- 
nuity of  the  architect.  It  is  a  bewildering  maze  of 
tracery.  For  beauty  of  design  and  prodigality  of 
decoration,  it  is  matchless.  It  is  equally  lovely 
whether  glittering  in  the  sunlight  or  shimmering  in 
the  moonbeams.  The  railing  of  its  balcony  is  sup- 
ported by  dragons'  heads.     Just  above  the  portal 


A   SUMMER    VACATION.  1 83 

are  two  white  dragons  linked  in  terrific  combat. 
Underneath  you  see  groups  of  children  playing. 
Beneath  these  are  clusters  of  Chinese  sages  in  vari- 
ous philosophical  attitudes,  such  as  only  Chinese 
philosophers  can  assume.  The  dragons,  upholding 
the  massive  roof,  with  their  flaming  eyes  and  gap- 
ing crimson  jaws,  seem  to  be  on  the  qui  vive  for 
evil  spirits. 

Going  through  the  gateway  we  enter  the  court- 
yard where  stands  the  chapel  of  lyeyas.  It  is  an 
architectural  gem.  Gable-ends,  ridge  pole,  eaves, 
rafters,  and  the  very  planking  of  the  floor,  exhibit 
the  consummation  of  native  skill.  For  a  full  de- 
scription of  it,  I  refer  you  to  Satow's  Guide-Book 
which  I  send  you  by  this  mail. 

The  tomb  of  lyeyas  is  further  up  the  mountain 
side.  We  ascend  a  long  flight  of  moss-grown  steps. 
At  the  top,  in  the  melancholy  woods,  is  the  weird 
bronze  monument  that  marks  the  spot  where  rest 
the  ashes  of  the  great  law-giver.  It  is  somber  and 
plain.  I  cannot  think  of  anything  with  which  to 
compare  it.  The  historic  interest,  however,  forms 
a  sufficient  attraction.  The  martial  pines  stand 
around  in  close  array  as  if  to  guard  Gongen  Sama 
in  his  long  rest.  He  was  the  heart  and  soul  of 
Japanese  feudalism.  What  the  tomb  of  the  Proph- 
et is  to  the  Moslem,  such  was  the  scpulcher  of 
Tokugawa  lyeyas  to  the  samurai.  Antiquity  bears 
testimony  to  the  reverence  that  has  ever  been  paid 
to  the  memory  of  the  dead.  Mausoleums,  pyra- 
mids, and  pillars,  built  at  prodigal  expense,  com- 


184  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

memorate  the  deeds  of  ancient  heroes.  The  pride 
of  Halicarnassus,  the  surpassing  glories  of  the  Taj, 
and  the  matchless  beauty  of  the  Nikko  shrines 
equally  testify  to  the  appreciative  character  of 
mankind  in  widely  separated  countries.  During 
the  days  of  the  Shogunate,  swarms  of  samurai 
flocked  hither  to  worship  the  shades  and  propitiate 
the  favor  of  the  departed  with  becoming  offerings 
and  ceremonies.  But  the  great  dynasty  has  fallen, 
and  the  pageantry  that  formerly  streamed  along 
the  great  vista,  exacting  cringing  deference  from 
the  wayside  folk,  has  faded  away  forever ;  and  the 
beauties  of  the  place  only  excite  unpleasant  mem- 
ories in  the  minds  of  those  who  love  the  good  days 
when  the  trusty  sword  was  the  ''  samurai* s  living 
soul." 

July  27. — We  visit  the  shrines  of  lyemitsu,  grand- 
son of  lyeyas.  They  are  about  half  a  mile  from 
those  described  yesterday.  A  long  avenue  through 
the  woods  connects  the  two.  As  they  resemble 
the  shrines  of  lyeyas  in  almost  every  particular,  I 
shall  not  describe  them. 

July  28. — Visited  several  shrines  of  minor  im- 
portance scattered  through  the  forests.  Some  of 
them  are  of  rare  beauty. 

July  29. — We  followed  one  of  the  paths  that 
twists  off  from  the  Sacred  Bridge  and  goes  winding 
through  the  thickets.  We  follow  it  up  to  where  it 
madly  hurls  itself  through  a  narrow  gorge.  Here 
we  find  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  large 
stone  images  of  Buddha  in  Nirvana.     They  are  ar- 


A    SUMMER    VACATION.  1 85 

ranged  along  the  shady  bank  in  an  extended  line' 
facing  the  water.  With  dreamy  eyes  they  seem  to 
watch  the  spray  that  floats  from  the  foaming  cur- 
rent. The  Guide  Book  asserts  that  in  counting 
these  images,  no  two  persons  will  return  the  same 
figures.  Jack  and  I  made  an  elaborate  attempt  to 
get  the  same  result.  He  began  at  one  end,  and  I 
began  at  the  other  end.  While  counting  we  placed 
our  canes  upon  each  figure.  "  What  do  you  make  ?  ** 
said  I.  "  One  hundred  and  twenty-seven,"  said  he. 
"One  hundred  and  twenty-five,"  said  I.  We  try 
agrain.  **  One  hundred  and  twenty-four,"  said  he. 
"  One  hundred  and  twenty-two,"  said. I.  We  then 
appealed  to  a  Japanese,  and  he  said  the  correct 
number  was  one  hundred  and  twenty-three.  He 
then  counts  them  himself  in  order  to  show  us,  and 
comes  out  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  !  We  give 
it  up  as  a  bad  job.  One  gets  confused  at  the 
similarity  of  the  faces  and  at  the  noise  of  the  roar- 
ing torrent.  Besides  this  several  of  the  small 
images  are  overgrown  with  grass,  and  you  are  al- 
most sure  to  overlook  some. 

July  30. — We  decide  to  visit  Chiusenji  Lake  and 
the  cascades,  seven  miles  or  so  further  up  the  moun- 
tain side.  We  get  off  early.  The  road  leads 
through  gorges  and  ravines  of  the  most  savage 
grandeur,  where  the  foaming  torrents  from  the 
lake  thunder  at  the  feet  of  dizzy  cliffs  and  shiver 
themselves  into  spray  against  the  massive  bowlders 
that  have  fallen  from  the  heights  above. 

A  steep  climb  up  the  side  of  the  mountain  brings 


1 86  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

US  to  an  elevated  plateau  about  four  thousand  feet 
above  sea  level.  On  the  right  rises  the  volcanic 
crest  of  Nantaisan,  looking  out  upon  the  distant 
Pacific  nearly  eight  thousand  feet  beneath.  In  the 
plateau  is  embosomed  lovely  Chiusenji  Lake,  en- 
circled by  densely  wooded  hills.  It  is  seven  miles 
long,  and  is  very  deep.  It  is  said  to  contain  no 
fish.  Upon  its  border  is  a  village,  which  is  occu- 
pied by  thousands  of  pilgrims  during  the  summer. 
But  when  the  winter  has  settled  down  upon  the 
mountain,  freezing  the  lake  and  filling  the  glens 
with  snow,  then  the  houses  are  utterly  deserted. 

The  cascades  in  this  vicinity  are  of  peerless 
beauty  and  pleasing  variety.  The  outlet  of  the 
lake,  after  winding  through  several  hundred  yards 
of  woods  and  tangled  underbrush,  falls  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  into  a  fearful  abyss.  The  width 
of  the  cascade  at  the  top  is  about  fifteen  feet.  But 
it  spreads  out  into  a  comet-like  cloud  of  spray  long 
before  it  reaches  the  bottom.  You  can  but  faintly 
hear  it  as  it  falls  whispering  into  the  dark  pool  be- 
neath. On  three  sides  the  rocks  descend  sheer, 
thus  encircling  the  boiling  gulf  and  presenting  an 
appearance  of  hideous  grandeur.  A  tea  booth 
perched  upon  the  brink  of  the  chasm  furnishes  a 
superb  outlook.  The  dense  woods  grow  up  to  the 
very  edge,  as  if  the  monstrous  shaft  had  been  sunk 
with  precision  and  care.  It  is  called  the  Kegeon- 
no-taki — taki  meaning  cascade.  We  lunched  on 
the  border  of  the  lake  in  a  native  hotel.  There  are 
quite  a  number  of  pilgrims  in  the  village. 


OUMPSB  OF  CHIU&ENJl  LAKE. 


A    SUMMER    VACATION.  1 87 

It  is  very  cool  up  here.  The  breeze  rippling  the 
lake  is  really  chilly.  In  the  afternoon  we  walked 
through  the  woods  bordering  the  shore  up  to 
Umoto,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  lake.  About  five 
hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  main  lake  is  a 
much  smaller  one  that  discharges  its  overflowing 
waters  into  it  by  a  series  of  magnificent  cascades. 
The  lowest  one  is  called  the  Cascade  of  the  Dragon's 
Head.  The  upper  one  is  that  of  the  Boiling 
Waters.  It  comes  sliding  down  an  inclined  plane 
of  black  rocks,  and  plunges  into  a  gloomy  pool  be- 
neath.    The  scenery  here  is  enrapturing. 

As  we  were  dallying  around  these  lovely  places, 
a  heavy  shower  overtook  us,  and  the  path  became 
ankle-deep  with  mud.  They  say  that  it  rains  every 
afternoon  up  here  during  the  summer. 

By  nightfall  we  had  waded  through  the  last  pud- 
dle, and  had  crossed  the  little  bridge  into  the  vil- 
lage of  Umoto.  Here  are  innumerable  sulphur 
springs,  celebrated  for  medicinal  qualities.  During 
the  summer  the  place  is  filled  with  invalids.  It  is, 
in  fact,  a  village  of  hotels.  Here  I  saw  for  the  first 
time  that  common  institution  of  former  times — 
promiscuous  bathing.  Persons  of  both  sexes,  ut- 
terly regardless  of  apparel  and  modesty,  flock  out 
from  the  baths  to  look  at  the  strangers. 

We  found  considerable  difficulty  in  finding 
rooms,  for  the  hotels  were  full,  but  finally  suc- 
ceeded. We  soon  donned  Japanese  garments  lent 
us  by  the  landlord  while  ours  were  drying.  It  is 
fun  to  watch  the  people  from  the  veranda.     Many 


1 8  8  LE  TTERS  FROM  J  A  PAN. 

of  them  have  never  seen  foreigners.  They  were 
very  respectful  in  their  observations,  however. 
They  were  all  engaged  in  amusing  themselves: 
some  in  playing  chess  on  the  verandas  of  the 
hotels  ;  some  in  boating  on  the  lake ;  some  in  read- 
ing aloud  so  as  to  be  heard  over  half  the  village ; 
some  were  boiling  in  the  mineral  vats  in  the  street ; 
but  the  majority  were  sipping  tea,  smoking,  and 
gossiping.  This  is  a  most  popular  place  for  soak- 
ing out  rheumatism  and  impurities.  The  springs 
are  far-famed.  And  a  dreary  place  it  is.  Impene- 
trable woods,  steaming  pits,  and  three  or  four  hours 
of  rain  every  afternoon.  Everything  was  saturated 
with  the  fumes  of  sulphur.  The  bed  clothing, 
mats,  food,  and  the  very  knife  with  which  the 
melon  was  cut,  were  thoroughly  impregnated  with 
the  disagreeable  odor.  The  little  streams  pouring 
into  the  lake  were  fuming  with  it. 

In  the  winter  time  the  springs  of  Umoto  arc 
deserted,  all  the  hotels  are  closed,  and  the  place  is 
as  silent  and  as  desolate  as  the  grave ;  while  the 
streets  are  banked  with  snow  and  the  sleet  drives 
through  the  crevices  of  the  houses.  Late  in  the 
spring  the  place  is  again  opened.  Only  people 
with  considerable  means  can  afford  to  come,  for  all 
the  provisions  have  to  be  brought  from  a  distance. 

Much  game  abounds  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  un- 
frequented glens,  where  the  profound  silence  is 
only  broken  by  the  music  of  the  takis  (cascades) 
and  the  cries  of  the  deer  and  wild  boar. 

In  future  years,  when  the  neighborhood  has  been 


A    SUMMER    VACATION,  189 

pruned  off,  and  a  few  modem  institutions  for  con- 
venience established,  the  place  will  doubtless  be- 
come a  fashionable  and  elegant  resort. 

/uiy  31. — We  bade  farewell  to  Umoto.  The 
landlord  escorted  us  to  the  bridge  and  said  good- 
bye.    Returned  to  Nikko. 

Aug.  I. — Spend  in  writing  up  my  journal  and  in 
revisiting  the  shrines. 

Aug.  2. — Stroll  up  the  valley  and  call  on  several 
of  the  Tokio  folks  who  are  spending  the  summer 
here.  They  have  rented  a  house  for  the  season. 
We  have  an  animated  discussion  over  the  Presiden- 
tial election. 

Aug.  3. — Visit  a  number  of  other  friends  who  are 
scattered  through  the  village.  Some  have  brought 
their  families  and  servants  and  have  rented  houses. 

Aug.  4. — Having  visited  the  main  points  of  in- 
terest, and,  intending  to  visit  Nagasaki  this  vaca- 
tion, I  start  back  for  Tokio. 

Aug,  5. — Spend  on  the  road. 

Aug.  6. — Reached  Tokio  about  6  P.M.  We 
were  so  dusty  and  tlirty  that  we  went  sneaking 
through  all  the  back  streets  so  as  to  avoid  meeting 
any  acquaintances.  Shall  start  for  Nagasaki  to- 
morrow.    Jack  is  going  to  Hakon^. 

Aug.  7. — Went  down  to  Yokohama  and  procured 
my  ticket.  Under  the  P.  M.  S.  S.  Co.  it  would 
have  cost  a  hundred  dollars  to  go  and  return  from 
Nagasaki.  But  under  the  Mitsu-Bishi  Company  I 
can  go  and  return  for  thirty-six  dollars.  This  com- 
pany has  bought  out  the  Pacific  Mail  on  this  line. 


190  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

It  bids  fair  in  a  few  years  to  be  the  great  maritime 
power  of  Asia. 

Aug,  8. — Started  this  afternoon  for  Nagasaki 
Fine  sail  down  the  bay. 

Aug.  9. — We  are  steaming  along  finely.  The 
coast  is  only  a  few  miles  to  larboard.  Late  in  the 
afternoon  we  saw  a  distant  waterfall  in  the  province 
of  Kii.  It  is  said  to  be  about  five  hundred  feet 
high.  It  must  be  very  fine,  for  we  can  see  it  at  a 
distance  of  twenty  miles.  Shall  visit  it  the  first 
chance  I  can  get.  We  have  a  great  number  of  pas- 
sengers aboard.  In  the  steerage  there  must  be  five 
or  six  hundred  ;  in  our  after-cabin  there  must  be  at 
least  a  hundred.  Two-thirds  of  these  saloon  pas- 
sengers are  Japanese.  They  appear  to  enjoy  for- 
eign travel  and  food  immensely.  Some  of  them 
speak  English  and  arc  very  sociable.  All  the  offi- 
cers of  these  steamers  are  foreigners.  The  sailors 
are  natives. 

Aug.  10. — Arrived  at  Kob6  at  daylight.  It  is 
situated  near  the  entrance  of  the  Inland  Sea.  Re- 
specting its  commercial  prospects,  it  has  seen  its 
best  days  as  regards  Europeans ;  but  it  will  see 
better  days  as  regards  the  natives.  When  the  port 
was  opened  eight  years  ago,  European  merchants 
came  in  with  a  rush.  They  were  going  to  coin 
money  without  stint ;  and  a  good  many,  no  doubt, 
did  so,  and  they  lost  it  again.  The  place  was 
simply  overdone,  and  the  native  merchants  soon 
began  to  take  a  large  portion  of  the  business.  The 
European  population  of  Kob^  at  present  is  about 


A    SUMMER    VACATION.  I9I 

two  hundred,  and  this  number  will  probably  grow 
less  as  time  rolls  on.  The  Japanese  population,  how- 
ever, has  rapidly  increased,  and  in  a  few  years  will 
number  over  four  hundred  thousand.  This  place 
is  a  center  of  trade.  The  steamers  from  China  and 
the  Inland  Sea  stop  here,  and  the  produce  from 
Osaca,  Kioto,  and  the  central  provinces  is  sent 
here  for  shipment.     The  climate  is  almost  perfect. 

Aug,  II. — We  started  down  the  Inland  Sea. 
This  is  one  of  the  lovely  spots  of  earth.  Three 
thousand  little  islands  are  strewn  broadcast  through 
a  narrow  channel.  Shall  not  attempt  to  describe 
it.  It  takes  about  a  day  to  steam  through  it,  and 
it  is  a  trip  never  to  be  forgotten.  Many  of  the  is- 
lands are  under  high  cultivation.  The  villages  on 
some  of  them  arc  extremely  picturesque.  In  future 
years,  when  wealth  has  rolled  into  the  country, 
these  islets  will  make  magnificent  places  for  villas. 

Aug.  12. — We  passed  Shimonosek6,  the  far- 
famed  Shimonosek^  of  diplomacy.  It  guards  the 
western  entrance  to  the  Inland  Sea.  When  prop- 
erly fortified,  it  will  be  as  formidable  as  Sebasto- 
pol.     The  situation  is  lovely. 

Aug.  13. — Arrived  at  Nagasaki  last  night. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  persons  who  have  had 
only  a  glimpse  of  a  place  can  usually  tell  a  vastly 
more  entertaining  story  about  it  than  can  the 
oldest  inhabitant.  I  believe  no  less  than  a  dozen 
writers  have  remarked  that  Nagasaki  is  very  pretty. 
I  make  the  same  remark.  An  equal  number  have 
advanced  the  indisputable  proposition  that  it  is  en- 


192  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

circled  by  most  picturesque  hills,  and  has  a  most 
lovely  harbor.  All  true,  every  word  of  it.  And, 
moreover,  the  vegetation  on  the  surrounding  hills 
is  heavy  and  almost  tropical.  The  climate  differs 
much  from  that  of  Tokio.  The  winter  is  very 
mild  ;  the  spring  is  lovely  ;  the  summer  is  hot ;  and 
the  autumn  is  equal  to  what  we  have  in  Tokio.  I 
am  going  ashore  to  find  the  house  of  Mr.  D.,  my 
missionary  friend,  who  has  kindly  invited  me  to 
stop  with  him  during  my  stay  here. 

Aug.  14. — Spent  in  "  doing  up"  the  place.  Trade 

here  is  very  brisk.     The  business  is  mostly  in  the 

.hands  of  Japanese  and  Chinamen.     There  are  but 

few  foreign  merchants  ;  and,  as  in  the  other  Treaty 

Ports,  there  is  but  little  chance  of  their  increasing. 

The  products  of  this  port  much  resemble  those 
of  the  other  ports,  with  the  exception  of  tortoise- 
shell  work,  which  may  be  considered  a  specialty  of 
the  place. 

The  native  character  is  rather  blunt.  The  people 
lack  the  extreme  politeness  of  the  Japanese  in 
general.  Centuries  of  commerce  with  the  Chinese, 
the  Portuguese,  and  the  Dutch,  have  tended  to 
make  them  brusque  in  their  manners. 

The  foreign  community  is  smaller  than  that  of 
Kobe.  It  is  so  limited  that  considerable  freedom 
of  social  intercourse  exists.  In  Yokohama  there  is 
an  upper  circle  arranged  on  the  decimal  scale.  A 
clerk,  a  storekeeper,  or  anybody  in  the  lower  paths 
of  mercantile  occupation,  is  pronounced  unclean 
and  unfit  to  bask  in  the  same  sunshine,  or  breathe 


A    SUMMER    VACATION,  1 93 

the  same  atmosphere  inhaled  by  beatified  snobs, 
who  are  not  above  occasional  sprees  down  to  Kana- 
gawa.  Social  life  in  Nagasaki  is  apt  to  become 
rather  monotonous  after  a  year  or  so.  The  arrival 
of  the  steamers  and  an  occasional  party  help  some- 
what to  enliven  things.  Boating,  canoeing,  and 
swimming  are  the  favorite  pastimes.  The  hilly 
nature  of  the  country  spoils  driving  and  riding. 
An  occasional  regatta  is  the  chief  recreation  of  the 
amateur  oarsmen.  One  lately  came  off  between 
Shanghai,  Kob6,  and  Nagasaki.  Shanghai  came 
prepared  to  row,  to  conquer,  and  to  brag.  But 
the  other  crews  also  displayed  a  remarkable  pro- 
clivity for  rowing.  One  of  them  conquered,  and 
the  other  did  an  amount  of  bragging  that  must 
have  shocked  the  vanquished. 

Aug,  15. — We  took  a  boat  and  went  down  to 
Pappenberg.  Those  who  doubt  the  capacity  of 
the  natives  to  be  sincerely  converted  to  Christi- 
anity will  find  it  interesting  to  visit  the  cliff  on  this 
little  island,  where,  centuries  ago,  hundreds  of  mar- 
tyrs were  flung  upon  the  rocks  beneath.  This  is  a 
famous  place  for  picnics. 

In  going  around  the  harbor,  it  is  interesting  to 
notice  the  ruins  of  the  many  batteries  that  formerly 
swept  the  waters  of  the  bay.  Each  promontory, 
each  commanding  bluff — even  the  melancholy  crest 
of  Pappenberg  itself — give  abundant  evidence  of 
the  solicitude  of  the  government  to  discourage  for- 
eign intrusion  and  a  reoccurrence  of  the  bloody 
scenes  that  seem  to  have  accompanied  Romanism 
13 


194  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

into  all  lands.  This  country  would  have  been  civil- 
ized by  this  time  had  the  meddling  monks  ab- 
stained from  dabbling  in  State  affairs. 

Aug.  1 6. — We  went  down  to  the  coal  mines  in 
Takashima,  a  small  island  at  the  entrance  of  the 
harbor.  The  supervisors  arc  Europeans.  The 
place  is  worked  by  a  joint  company  of  natives  and 
foreign  merchants.  It  pays  well.  At  present  they 
are  flooding  it.  It  took  fire  in  some  unknown 
manner  some  months  ago,  which  could  not  be  put 
under  by  ordinary  methods.  It  is  supposed  that 
the  earthquakes  created  sufficient  friction  to  cause 
combustion  in  some  of  the  obscure  strata,  and  that 
it  had  been  smoldering  for  months,  for  a  strong 
odor  of  gas  had  been  noticed  for  many  weeks.  On 
this  occasion  the  native  workmen  displayed  admir- 
able pluck.  They  crept  up  as  close  as  possible  to 
the  fire,  and  held  their  ground  until  the  hose  drop- 
ped from  their  hands  and  they  were  dragged  away 
insensible.  On  resuscitating,  they  would  insist  on 
returning  to  their  posts. 

Aug.  i8. — We  made  an  excursion  over  the  hills. 
Country  lovely.  The  natives  have  some  excuse  for 
calling  this  the  land  of  the  gods. 

Aug.  19. — Played  croquet.  Ate  water-melons. 
Drank  lemonade.  Very  hot.  No  breeze.  Hills 
cut  off  the  sea  air.  Nagasaki  is  built  on  the  wrong 
side  of  the  bay. 

Aug,  20. — Began  to  think  about  returning  to 
Tokio. 

Aug.  21. — Continued  thinking. 


A    SUMMER    VACATION,  1 95 

Aug.  22. — Decided  to  start. 

Aug.  23. — Started. 

And  now  I  must  shut  up  my  journal.  I  have 
given  you  in  this  letter  a  specimen  of  our  methods 
of  spending  vacations  and  keeping  journals. 

Don't  criticise  severely.  Remember  everything 
is  strictly  cntrc  nous.  In  traveling,  I  can  assure  you 
it  is  a  most  wretched  bore  to  make  daily  entries. 
Japanese  houses  never  have  tables.  I  lie  flat  on 
the  floor  when  I  write. 

I  am  very  glad  to  see  that  Columbia  has  won  the 
inter-collegiate  boat-race.  Harvard  seems  to  have 
hard  luck.  I  don't  wonder  at  her  desiring  close 
communion  races  with  Yale.  She  is  doubtless  tired 
of  getting  annually  thrashed  by  "  oncJtoss  colleges." 

Keep  me  posted  on  all  home  news. 
Truly  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


LETTER  XII. 

MISSIONARY   WORK   IN  JAPAN. 

TOKIO,  May  l8,  1876. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

I  have  been  much  interested  in  the  missionary 
question  lately.  Many  of  my  most  intimate  ac- 
quaintances being  missionaries,  I  have  been  fa- 
vored with  an  excellent  opportunity  for  obtaining 
a  close  insight  of  all  their  labors.  Knowing  that 
you  feel  interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
present  condition  of  Japan,  I  will  now  give  you  the 
results  of  my  observations  respecting  this  highly 
prominent  factor  in  its  civilization. 

The  evangelizing  of  this  country  may  be  said  to 
have  been  begun  by  the  Jesuits  three  hundred 
years  ago.  But  properly  speaking,  the  mission 
work  in  Japan  has  sprung  up  within  twenty  years. 
Nay,  accurately  speaking,  earnest,  thoroughly  or- 
ganized, and  efficient  work  has  hardly  been  in 
operation  more  than  six  years.  And  its  growth 
during  this  period  has  been  really  wonderful,  when 
we  consider  what  it  has  had  to  contend  with. 

The  first  Protestant  missionaries  came  to  Japan 
about  eighteen  years  ago.  For  the  first  ten  years 
their    force    was    very  small,  and    was   limited    to 


pi?; 


MISSIONARY    WORK  IN  JAPAN.  1 97 

Yokohama  and  Nagasaki.  The  early  comers,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  had  to  spend  most  of  their  time 
in  making  dictionaries,  translating  catechisms  and 
doctrinal  literature,  and  in  trying  to  get  a  clear 
comprehension  of  the  new  language — a  language 
that  is  difficult  to  master  even  under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances.  The  times  were  also  very 
unfavorable  for  their  operations,  as  the  natives 
were  yet  bitter  in  their  hate  toward  Roman 
Catholicism. 

In  1867,  however,  this  feeble  force  began  to  in- 
crease, and  the  natives,  beginning  to  discriminate 
between  Romanists  and  Protestants,  became  more 
disposed  to  listen.  In  1870,  the  Imperial  Revolu- 
tion being  ended,  the  work  became  firmly  rooted, 
and  spread  rapidly.  New  missions  were  estab- 
lished at  Kob6  and  Osaca,  and  those  at  Yokohama 
and  Nagasaki  were  reinforced.  But  it  was  reserved 
for  the  year  1873  to  witness  the  grand  influx  of  all 
denominations,  for  the  Presbyterians  and  Dutch 
Reformed  were  the  pioneers. 

This  year  forms  an  epoch  in  the  mission  history 
of  Japan.  New  stations  were  established  at  Hako- 
date, in  Yesso,  in  Niigata  on  the  west  coast,  and  in 
Tokio,  just  then  thrown  open  to  foreigners.  And 
recently  missionaries  have  been  employed  to  teach 
English  in  the  interior,  with  the  understanding  that 
they  may  teach  Christianity  outside  of  school 
hours  to  all  those  disposed  to  listen.  So  that  all  of 
the  empire  may  be  said  to  be  embraced  within  the 
scope  of  mission  work. 


198  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Of  course  the  force  in  each  place  is  very  limited. 
Hakodate  has  but  two  families;  Niigata,  two; 
Hirosaki,  one  ;  Nagasaki,  three  ;  Kobe,  five  or  six; 
Kioto,  three  ;  Osaca,  four :  and  Tokio  and  Yoko- 
hama form  the  great  centers,  as  a  matter  of  course. 
In  each  station  the  families  are  located  in  comfort- 
able but  not  expensive  houses,  built  upon  Eu- 
ropean plans ;  and  in  each,  the  general  plan  of 
carrying  on  the  work  by  preaching  and  teaching 
is  the  same. 

Beginning  with  Tokio,  we  find  here  about  fifteen 
families,  besides  an  almost  equal  number  of  single 
workers  of  both  sexes.  In  this  number  I  have  not 
included  the  Roman  Catholics;  I  would  guess  their 
force  at  about  ten.  They  are  indefatigable  work- 
ers, but  I  do  not  think  they  will  ever  be  very 
popular,  because  of  their  previous  history.  Nor 
have  I  included  the  small  body  of  Greek  priests 
connected  with  the  Russian  Legation. 

Almost  every  Protestant  sect  is  here  represented. 
We  find  Methodists,  Canadian  Wesleyans,  Ameri- 
can and  Scotch  Presbyterians,  Congregationalists, 
Baptists,  and  American  and  English  Episcopalians, 
all  working  harmoniously  and  independently.  It 
has  been  calculated  that  two  thousand  people  hear 
the  Gospel  every  Sunday  in  Tokio.  Places  for 
Christian  worship  are  scattered  all  over  the  city. 
There  are  three  chapels  in  the  foreign  concession, 
and  an  elaborate  Greek  church  on  Suruga  Dai.  Here 
there  is  preaching  on  Sunday.  Then  three  or  four 
times  during  the  week  services  are  held  in  rooms 


MISSIONARY    WORK  IN  JAPAN.  1 99 

rented  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  when  the  Script- 
ures are  freely  discussed  and  distributed,  and  the 
superiority  of  Christ's  teachings  held  forth.  It 
is  the  policy  of  the  missionaries  to  avoid  ridicul- 
ing or  abusing  the  pagan  forms  of  worship  as  much 
as  possible.  In  addition  to  this,  many  young 
Japanese  go  to  the  missionaries  to  learn  English, 
and,  of  course,  receive  much  Scriptural  instruction 
with  it.  There  is  also  a  fine  mission  hospital,  under 
the  able  and  energetic  management  of  Dr.  Faulds 
of  Scotland,  and  the  ladies  have  erected  two 
large  and  well  conducted  female  academies  for 
educating  Japanese  girls.  In  addition  to  all  this, 
the  zealous  missionaries  take  turns  in  preaching  to 
the  English-speaking  residents  every  Sunday  morn- 
ing, and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  will  form  a  per- 
manent feature  of  their  work  here ;  for  an  able  ex- 
position of  the  truth  certainly  benefits  the  com- 
munity by  creating  a  healthy  moral  tone  on  topics 
common  in  pagan  countries. 

Nor  is  the  work  confined  to  Tokio.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  various  missions  travel  off  into  the 
suburbs,  into  the  distant  villages,  and  even  beyond 
the  mountains,  preaching  and  giving  instruction  in 
hotels,  in  private  houses  whose  masters  have  invited 
in  their  friends  to  hear  the  mysteries  of  the  foreign 
religion,  and  to  the  folks  at  the  wayside  inns. 

In  Yokohama  the  work  is  yet  more  extensive. 
There  are  at  least  twenty  families,  with  fully  an 
equal  number  of  co-operative  single  workers.  In 
addition  to  abundant  teaching  and  preaching,  much 


200  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

good  is  accomplished  by  a  well  organized  medical 
dispensary.  There  are  also  a  number  of  seminaries 
and  foundh'ng  asylums.  In  no  part  of  Japan  is 
there  such  an  abundant  distribution  of  religious 
literature.  In  various  ways,  at  least  three  thou- 
sand people  must  hear  the  truth  every  week. 
Places  for  preaching  and  instruction  are  rented  in 
many  of  the  villages  surrounding  Yokohama,  and 
there  are  places  in  the  country  where  weekly  or 
monthly  visits  are  paid.  And  occasionally  a  Japan- 
ese from  the  far  interior  will  request  a  missionary  to 
accompany  him  to  his  native  village  among  the 
mountains  to  expound  the  Scriptures  to  his  friends, 
who  are  too  poor  to  come  to  Yokohama.  Much 
good  seed  is  thus  cast.  When  the  missionary  reaches 
the  village,  he  puts  up  at  a  hotel.  He  then  informs 
the  landlord  that  he  wishes  to  preach  in  his  lower 
room.  Permission  is  generally  easily  obtained.  The 
shojees  arc  then  removed,  thus  throwing  all  the  rooms 
into  one.  The  talking  then  begins  in  a  conversational 
way,  and  the  crowd  begins  to  gather  until  the 
streets  and  yard  arc  packed  with  listeners.  The 
exhort er  then  steps  out  on  the  veranda  and  preaches 
to  a  respectful  gathering  for  a  couple  of  hours  at  a 
time.  The  people  are  champion  listeners.  They 
wear  an  ordinary  man  out.  They  are  insatiate. 
They  come  three  or  four  times  a  day  urging  a  con- 
tinuance of  the  speech.  I  knew  one  missionary 
who  began  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and 
when  he  was  exhausted  his  native  helpers  carried 
on  the  exhortation  until  nine  o'clock  at  night.     Of 


MISSIONARY    WORK-  IN  JAPAN.  20I 

course  sermonizing  is  not  resorted  to.  Simply  the 
barest  recital  of  the  life,  the  work,  and  the  agony 
of  our  Redeemer  seems  to  chain  their  attention. 
The  people  then  disperse.  Very  few  of  them,  per- 
haps, will  be  baptized.  But  curiosity  has  been 
awakened  to  know  about  this  extraordinary  relig- 
ion ;  books  are  bought  ;  and  when  the  missionary 
makes  his  next  visit,  he  will  find  a  number  of 
earnest  inquirers  after  the  truth.  The  good  that 
will  result  from  this  kind  of  circuit  work  is  incalcul- 
able. 

Nor  are  the  missionaries  in  Yokohama  negligent 
of  their  own  countrymen.  Through  their  influence, 
a  temperance  hall  and  reading-room  have  been  es- 
tablished. They  preach  on  Sunday  in  English  at 
the  church  in  the  Settlement,  and  they  are  inter- 
ested in  other  good  works.  In  the  other  Treaty 
Ports  the  missionary  operations  are  of  a  similar 
character,  but  are  on  a  more  limited  scale,  owing 
to  the  smallness  of  the  forces.  Each  Treaty  Port 
has  become  a  center  from  which  radiates  Christian 
influence. 

Of  course  the  direct  fruit  of  this  labor  is  com- 
paratively small.  The  actual  number  of  converts 
to  the  Protestant  faith  is  but  one  thousand  ;  but 
the  number  of  inquirers  and  listeners  much  exceeds 
this.  And  the  good  that  has  been  done  and  will 
yet  be  done  by  these  devoted  men  and  women  will 
never  appear  in  figures, — nor  can  it. 

I  can  assure  you  that  the  lot  of  the  missionary 
in  Japan  is  by  no  means  an  enviable  one.     In  the 


202  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

first  place,  while  the  native  is  an  incomparable  lis- 
tener, yet  he  is  possessed  of  such  an  amount  of  good- 
natured  indifference  on  religious  subjects  that  it  if 
very  difficult  to  get  him  thoroughly  in  earnest. 
The  people  are  usually  fickle  and  capricious.  The 
samurai  laugh  at  Buddhism  and  its  gross  supersti- 
tions. They  readily  admit  that  Bible  morality  is 
perfect  and  far  superior  to  their  own  teachings. 
But  they  do  not  like  to  put  it  into  practice  because 
it  interferes  with  sensual  pleasures.  They,  like 
many  of  our  own  people,  do  not  object  to  contem- 
plating Christianity  from  a  purely  theoretical  stand- 
point, but  they  cannot  endure  a  practical  illustra- 
tion thereof.  They  handle  religious  topics  with  an 
easy-going,  slip-shod  spirit,  quite  inconsistent  with 
the  ideas  of  thorough-going  Westerners.  Intense 
and  sincere  earnestness  on  spiritual  matters  is  cer- 
tainly not  one  of  their  characteristics.  Although 
frequently  childishly  superstitious,  yet  they  pos- 
sess a  strong  natural  tendency  toward  atheism. 
Charmed  with  the  novelty  of  the  new  religion, 
affected  with  the  unselfish  life  and  the  tragical 
death  of  our  Redeemer,  cordially  admitting  the 
matchless  purity  of  his  precepts,  yet  they  are  indis- 
posed to  adopt  what  appears  to  them  to  be  a  severe 
and  rigorous  code  of  morality.  The  theoretical 
*^ ought''  pleases  their  fancy,  but  the  practical 
"  must "  lengthens  the  visage  and  elicits  the  request 
to  be  excused.  They  do  not  like  to  commit  them- 
selves to  a  regular  and  strict  course  of  definite  ac- 
tion on  such  subjects. 


MISSIONARY    WORK  IN  JAPAN.  203 

Their  love  of  novelty  is  another  serious  obstacle 
to  thorough  and  effective  missionary  work.  They 
delight  to  remodel  and  tamper  with  whatever  falls 
into  their  hands.  This  develops  itself  into  a  re- 
markable fondness  for  modifying  religious  creeds 
to  suit  their  own  views.  As  they  have  modified 
Buddhism,  as  they  have  rendered  their  own  lan- 
guage and  literature  an  inextricable  muddle  by  re- 
peated innovations,  so  would  they  tamper  with  the 
Bible  and  its  doctrines.  It  is  really  bewildering  to 
consider  the  number  of  amendments  that  the  native 
intellect  could  suggest  to  the  Ten  Commandments. 
In  the  first  place,  it  would  ease  up  somewhat  the 
strictures  on  carnal  pleasures.  In  the  second  place, 
while  freely  admitting  the  general  principle  that 
truth  is  a  jewel,  it  would  modestly  intimate  that 
an  awkward  statement  of  facts  should  always  be 
avoided;  and  that  the  capacity  to  "take  in"  a 
brother  man,  instead  of  arguing  moral  degenera- 
tion, rather  denoted  mental  acumen  of  a  high  phil- 
osophic order.  In  the  third  place,  the  Sabbath 
should  be  a  jolly  good  holiday.  Then  they  would 
indorse,  without  amendment,  the  commandments 
respecting  idolatry,  profanity,  theft,  homicide,  and 
filial  respect.  The  tenth  commandment  would  be 
considered  as  a  moral  curiosity,  theoretically  prac- 
ticable, but  entirely  too  high-flown  for  human  nat- 
ure. The  eleventh  commandment,  whereon  hang 
the  law  and  the  prophets,  would  be  left  to  individual 
discretion ;  coupled,  however,  with  the  suggestion 
that  should  a  neighbor  chance  to  be  too  intense  for 


204  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

the  locality,  the  combined  community  should  adopt 
measures  for  rendering  the  premises  too  hot  for  his 
comfortable  sojourn  thereon.  Thus  would  there 
be  a  happy  amalgamation  of  Buddhism,  Shintoism, 
Confucianism,  and  Christianity, — an  amalgamation, 
in  fact,  that  would  suit  the  pagans  of  all  lands, — 
civilized  or  otherwise. 

Hut  it  is  not  from  the  natives  that  the  mission- 
aries have  to  meet  their  greatest  discouragements. 
It  may  seem  strange  to  you,  but  all  the  persecution 
they  are  ever  called  on  to  endure  comes  from  the 
foreign  community.  They  are  hounded  by  the 
press  and  by  social  scandal  to  an  extent  absolutely 
libelous.  They  arc  the  conventional  target  for  in- 
sulting editorial  wit  and  comment.  Should  one  of 
their  number  chance  to  be  indiscreet,  this  is  the 
signal  for  a  cowardly  attack  upon  the  entire  body 
of  this  most  refined  and  respectable  portion  of  our 
community. 

I  know  of  no  subject  connected  with  our  social 
cosmos  which  the  people  here  seem  to  feel  them- 
selves more  competent  to  discuss.'  Now,  if  a  per- 
son not  familiar  with  law  or  seamanship  were  to 
attempt  to  instruct  us  upon  those  subjects,  he 
might  find  himself  the  subject  of  considerable 
pointed  advice  from  legal  gentlemen  and  weather- 
beaten  skippers.  But  lawyers,  merchants,  captains, 
editors,  under-strappers  in  the  Hongs, — men  who 
have  never  read  a  missionary  journal,  or  have  never 
had  ten  minutes'  conversation  with  a  missionary, 
and    who    know   absolutely    nothing    about    their 


MISSIONARY    WORK  IN  JAPAN,  205 

operations, — discuss  this  missionary  question  with 
great  warmth  and  with  the  most  profound  and 
complacent  stupidity.  They  seem  to  assume  that, 
because  a  man  has  Hved  in  Japan,  he  knows  all 
about  missionaries !  Because  a  man  runs  a  tea  firm 
on  Water  Street,  and  has  never  attended  a  native 
service,  he  is,  therefore,  competent  to  pronounce 
evangelization  a  failure !  Because  a  seaman  drops 
into  port  about  four  times  a  year,  has  never  seen  a 
native  chapel,  and  confines  his  investigations  en- 
tirely to  Kanagawa,  he  is  able  to  pour  into  the  ears 
of  passengers  stories  about  missionary  shiftlessness 
and  idleness! 

The  cause  of  all  this  hostility  is  easy  to  see.  The 
presence  of  missionaries  is  a  continued  rebuke  to 
the  greater  portion  of  the  foreign  community,  who 
are  leading  lives  they  would  not  think  of  leading 
at  home.  The  natives  are  soon  taught  that  these 
foreigners  arc  living  beneath  their  duties  and  privi- 
leges. They  soon  learn  to  point  this  fact  with  cut- 
ting and  contemptuous  observations,  which  gall  the 
recipients  thereof  exceedingly.  They  naturally  say 
that  the  missionaries  must  be  of  a  higher  caste. 
And  they  soon  begin  to  draw  a  line  between  the 
two  portions  of  the  community;  one  portion  is 
bent  on  gain,  it  is  selfish  and  grasping,  it  abuses  its 
servants,  deals  harshly  with  the  natives,  and  is 
licentious ;  the  other  portion  acts  justly  toward  all, 
so  that  servants  are  anxious  to  secure  them  as  mas- 
ters, and  the  merchants  are  always  on  the  qui  vive 
to  open  accounts  with  them.     They  learn  the  Ian- 


206  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

guagc  accurately  and  elegantly,  and  instruct  the 
people  carefully  and  thoroughly,  and  the  people 
soon  begin  to  love  and  respect  them. 

It  seems  to  be  a  universal  feature  of  human  nat- 
ure that  conscious  inferiority  excites  envy  and 
hate.  This  is  manifested  prominently  here.  This 
bitter  spirit,  however,  is  slowly  disappearing;  at 
least  it  docs  not  strive  to  make  itself  so  conspicuous 
as  it  did  four  years  ago.  You  must  not  infer  that 
the  missionaries  have  no  friends  at  all  in  the  foreign 
community,  for  there  are  a  few  who  do  sympathize 
with  them,  and  fully  appreciate  the  difficulties 
under  which  they  labor. 

Then,  again,  our  missionary  friends  frequently  find 
themselves  annoyed  by  their  well-wishers — people 
who  have  abundance  of  advice  to  offer  respecting 
the  carrying  on  of  the  work.  Some  people  have 
such  absurd  notions  on  this  subject  both  here  and 
at  home !  One  advises  all  missionaries  to  live  in 
native  style.  One  wants  them  to  farm  in  civilized 
style,  and  thus  impress  the  people  with  the  su- 
periority of  our  machinery.  Some  of  them  are 
surprised  if  one  happens  to  return,  after  an  absence 
of  several  years,  with  his  complexion  still  fair,  his 
manners  still  civilized,  his  tongue  still  able  to  articu- 
late the  words  of  his  native  language,  and  his  hair 
still  disposed  to  part  on  one  side  and  not  possessed 
with  an  irresistible  inclination  to  wriggle  down  over 
his  shoulders  in  a  pig-tail.  And  should  one  return 
after  an  absence  of  twenty-five  years  and  exhibit  no 
outlandish  manners,  still  prefer  a  roof  and  bed  to  a 


MISSIONARY   WORK  IN  JAPAN.  207 

tent  and  mat,  exhibit  no  ravenous  appetite  for 
rats,  be  able  to  tic  his  cravat  and  to  put  his  shirt 
on  beneath  his  vest,  and  still  be  able  to  preach 
without  mixing  in  heathenish  quotations  from 
Confucius,  there  will  be  found  those  who  will  be 
smitten  with  incredulity,  and  will  express  serious 
doubts  as  to  the  ultimate  evangelization  of  the 
heathens.  A  friend  of  mine  told  me  the  following 
story,  which  is  certainly  characteristic :  A  returned 
missionary  was  invited  to  dine  with  one  of  the 
"  pillars  "  of  the  Church.  While  said  "  pillar  "  was 
pompously  carving  a  leg  of  mutton,  he  patroniz- 
ingly condescended  to  ask  a  few  questions  about 
apostolic  diet  in  pagan  lands.  "  I  presume,  sir, 
that  in  the  distant  realms  of  barbarism  and  med- 
iaeval obscurity  from  which  you  have  so  lately 
emerged,  that  the  article  of  food  now  before  us  is 
unheard  of?*'  **  By  no  means,"  was  the  reply. 
"  We  occasionally  have  a  joint  of  it  for  variety." 
The  "  pillar  "  dropped  his  knife  and  fork  and  sat 
back  aghast.  "  What !  A  missionary  eating  mut- 
ton! And  we  only  affording  it  twice  a  week! 
Great  heavens !  I'll  never  give  another  cent  to  the 
cause  as  long  as  I  live !  " 

Numberless  are  the  objections  raised  against  the 
evangelization  of  the  heathens.  In  the  first  place 
we  are  met  by  the  hackneyed  question,  "  Why 
don't  you  keep  your  clergy  at  home  to  labor  among 
their  own  degraded  countrymen,  and  not  be  send- 
ing them  off  to  waste  their  labors  in  foreign  lands?" 
For  two  very  substantial  reasons,  my  friends.    You 


208  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

already  have  enough  churches  and  preachers  at 
home  to  dispense  the  truth  to  every  man,  woman 
and  child  disposed  to  listen ;  and  if  you  were  to 
double  the  force  at  home,  I  seriously  doubt  wheth- 
er the  results  would  be  proportionately  greater. 
Those  who  will  not  be  reached  now,  will  not  be 
reached  if  a  delegation  of  a  dozen  clergymen  were 
to  wait  upon  each  individual  of  them.  Therefore, 
let  this  portion  of  our  civilized  countrymen,  who 
are  too  philosophical  to  be  affected  by  a  "  Jewish 
myth,"  not  act  out  the  principle  of  the  dog  in  the 
manger  by  keeping  the  truth  from  the  Gentiles 
while  ignoring  it  themselves. 

In  the  second  place,  \\\s-  nationalizing  and  local- 
izing of  Christianity  is  directly  opposed  to  the 
genius  of  the  Gospels.  This  course  would  be 
human  and  selfish.  Christianity  is  divine,  and  is 
intended  to  conquer  our  selfishness.  All  the  woes 
of  humanity,  with  but  few  exceptions,  spring  from 
selfishness.  Eliminate  selfishness  from  our  nature 
and  you  will  eliminate  sorrow  and  misery  to  a  large 
extent  from  the  list  of  human  woes.  The  eleventh 
commandment  is  a  direct  and  deadly  thrust  at 
human  selfishness.  The  Jews  rejected  this  com- 
mandment with  Christ.  And  may  we  not  truly  say 
that  selfishness  is  to-day  a  strong  Jewish  character- 
istic? Against  this  peculiarity  of  our  nature, 
Christ  was  inexorable  and  uncompromising.  His 
command  was  "  Go  ye  forth  into  all  the  world," 
not  **  Remain  forever  at  Jerusalem  wasting  breath 
and   exertions   upon    a   perverse   and   stiff-necked 


MISSIONARY    WORK  IN  JAPAN.  2O9 

generation."  And  in  parable  he  clearly  intimates 
that  many  must  be  called  because  so  few  are  will- 
ing to  be  chosen.  Therefore,  my  friends,  you  who 
now  wish  to  keep  Christianity  at  home  are  acting 
out  the  same  selfish  principle  that  has  been  the 
curse  and  main  impediment  to  human  progress  in 
all  ages.  No  community  or  people  can  consistently 
act  out  the  teachings  of  Christ  without  making 
efforts  to  give  to  others  the  rays  of  the  same  light. 
When  a  community  ceases  to  be  evangelical^  it  ceases 
to  be  truly  Christian. 

Again,  it  is  urged  that  the  expense  of  the  work 
is  great.  Of  course  it  is.  Do  you  expect  it  to  cost 
little  or  nothing?  Where,  then,  would  the  oppor- 
tunity for  you  to  show  a  self-sacrificing  spirit  come 
in?  I  have  generally  found  that  those  who  are 
loudest  in  raising  this  objection  arc  those  who  con- 
tribute little  or  nothing  to  the  cause  of  evangeliza- 
tion. Would  it  not  be  more  dignified  for  such  to 
proportion  their  advice  to  their  liberality  ?  It  is  a 
fact  that  the  bulk  of  missionary  contributions  come 
not  from  the  rich  and  the  noble,  but  from  those  in 
moderate  circumstances,  and  from  the  poor.  If 
evangelization  had  to  wait  until  millionaires  were 
ready  to  furnish  the  funds,  it  would,  in  common 
parlance,  have  to  hang  its  harp  up  under  the  wil- 
lows (a  position  in  which  not  a  few  would  like  to 
see  it). 

Again,  it  is  loudly  urged,  the  native  Christians 
sometimes  back-slide.  But  back-sliding  is  by  no 
means  common.  And  if  it  were,  this  phase  of  relig- 
14 


2  lO  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

ious  experience  is  not  unknown  in  our  cnv?i  lands 
of  glorious  civilization  and  enlightenment.  It  is 
more  becoming  not  to  advance  this  objection. 

Again,  it  is  urged,  the  native  Christians  are  not 
really  and  truly  converted  ;  they  are  insincere;  they 
will  not  stand  fast  should  persecution  arise.  Facts 
prove  the  contrary.  Let  the  cliff  of  Pappenberg, 
and  the  crucifixions  and  tortures  of  Shimambara 
testify.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  they  will  stand  per- 
secution as  well  as  some  of  our  fat  deacons  that 
take  such  Pharisaical  satisfaction  in  classifying 
themselves  among  the  perfections  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

Again,  it  is  urged  that  with  such  an  outlay  of 
money  and  labor,  evangelization  should  proceed 
more  rapidly.  No  doubt  there  are  many  who  think 
that  more  tangible  results  should  appear.-  Let  us 
consider  some  of  the  difficulties.  Are  we  not  too 
sanguine  when  we  expect  thirty  millions  of  people 
to  be  acted  upon  in  so  short  a  space  of  time  ?  Are 
not  we,  who  so  rigidly  proportion  results  to  time 
and  money,  apt  to  be  a  little  conceited  about  the 
progress  of  Christianity  in  our  own  country?  Let 
us  examine  a  little.  Let  us  begin  with  Great  Brit- 
ain. There,  for  thirteen  centuries,  you  have  had 
thousands  of  ministers  at  work.  And,  at  the  pres- 
ent moment,  the  force  at  work  in  the  shires  and 
cities  of  the  United  Kingdom  can  be  numbered  by 
the  thousands.'  And  what  are  the  results?  Is 
Great  Britain  completely  evangelized  ?  Is  she 
what    she  ought  to  be,   after  all  her  centuries  of 


MISSIONARY   WORK  IN  JAPAN.  2  1 1 

Christian  teaching  and  advantages  ?  By  no  means. 
Nowhere  in  Japan  will  you  find  viciousness  of  so 
vile  a  character  as  you  will  find  in  the  iniquitous 
dens  of  London,  Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  and  a  few 
other  civilized  foci. 

These  same  remarks  are  applicable  to  America, 
and  to  France,  Spain,  Italy,  and  Germany.  Do  not, 
then,  expect  so  great  results  from  the  small  force 
in  the  field.  Consider,  also,  that  they  have  to  con- 
tend with  a  difficult  language.  This  language  is 
not  well  adapted  to  express  the  profound  and 
varied  ideas  of  Christian  theology.  Terms  and 
forms  of  expression  have  to  be  almost  invented  in 
order  to  present  many  of  the  ideas  of  the  Revealed 
Religion.  The  natives  have  to  be  taught  the  mean- 
ing of  the  innovated  phrases.  All  this,  of  course, 
much  cripples  the  effect  of  eloquence  and  dialectic 
discourse.  And,  in  addition  to  all  this,  the  dis- 
solute behavior  of  the  foreign  community  terribly 
injures  the  cause  of  Christianity.  It  is  hard  to 
answer  the  frequently  propounded  question :  "  If 
your  religion  is  so  very  superior,  why  do  such  foul 
wretches  come  from  your  country?"  And  the  ex- 
planation that  they  are  not  Christians,  but  sinners, 
wantonly  living  below  their  duties  and  destined  to 
much  severer  punishment  for  so  doing,  is  but  half 
understood  by  a  people  accustomed  from  earliest 
time  to  nationalize  religion,  and  who  have  no  ideas 
of  a  spiritual  kingdom  and  of  an  invisible,  yet  real, 
communion  of  the  redeemed  with  Christ. 

Finally,  it  is  urged  with  great  gusto  that  native 


2  I  2  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Christians  do  not  bear  favorable  comparison  with 
our  Christians  at  home.  It  is  triumphantly  asserted 
that  they  retam  many  of  their  heathenish  propen- 
sities after  baptism  ;  that  to  eradicate  these  quali- 
ties, if  not  an  impossibility,  will  be  the  work  at 
least  of  several  generations;  that  they  do  not  pos- 
sess the  high-bred  Christian  sentiment  of  Saxons; 
that  a  strong  alloy  of  inherent  superstition  runs 
through  all  their  nature ;  that  their  moral  percep- 
tions are  positively  obtuse  when  viewed  from  our 
stand-point  ;  that  a  well-balanced,  sensitive  con- 
science is  a  rare  thing  among  them ;  and  that  even 
after  years  of  labor  but  few  can  be  considered  as 
examples  worthy  of  imitation.  Now  just  permit 
us  to  inform  you  that  your  comparison  is  sophis- 
tical and  unfair.  Is  it  legitimate  to  draw  a  com- 
parison between  the  first  converts  of  a  heathen 
countr}'  and  our  carefully  educated  Christians  who 
have  had  every  moral  advantage  from  infancy,  who 
have  been  reared  in  the  midst  of  every  circum- 
stance tending  to  promote  elevation  of  character, 
who  have  derived  every  possible  benefit  from  cent- 
uries of  accumulated  instruction,  who  do  not  have 
to  face  the  fierce  prejudice  and  bitter  persecution 
of  friends  and  neighbors,  and  who  are  assisted  in- 
tellectually and  morally  by  many  generations  of 
inherited  tendencies?  Certainly  not.  You  should 
compare  them  with  the  first  converts  of  the  Saxon 
and  Celtic  races.  We  must  bear  in  mind  that  the 
early  inhabitants  of  fair  Albion  did  not  become 
paragons  of  excellence  as  soon  as  they  were  bap- 


MISSIONARY    WORK  IN  JAPAN.  213 

tized  by  Saint  Augustine.   They  retained  for  many 
centuries  their  barbarous  and  cruel  customs. 

Nor  can  we  speak  in  more  flattering  terms  of 
sweet  Ireland.  For  even  at  this  day,  after  centu- 
ries of  cultivation,  but  little  of  the  fruit  of  Saint 
Patrick  can  be  characterized  as  sans  pareil.  And 
coming  down  to  later  times,  we  must  remember 
that  his  most  gracious  Majesty,  Defender  of  the 
Faith,  &c.,  King  Henry  VIII.,  would  bear  very  un- 
favorable comparison  with  modern  Christians.  Nor 
would  it  be  fair  to  cite  as  a  specimen  of  modern 
Christianity  that  bellicose  queen  who  was  accus- 
tomed to  slap  her  courtiers  in  the  face,  to  lie  and, 
dissimulate  without  stint,  to  swear  at  her  noble 
lords  "  by  God's  blood,"  and  to  publicly  interrupt 
sermons  by  telling  clergymen  to  "  quit  their  un- 
godly digressions.**  Nay,  more,  it  would  not  be 
very  gratifying  to  national  pride  to  sit  in  inquisi- 
torial committee  on  the  moral  tone  of  the  entire 
Elizabethan  age.  And,  bringing  the  question  right 
home,  could  we  candidly  advise  Japanese  youth  of 
to-day  to  pattern  their  actions  after  the  naughty 
example  of  the  future  Defender  of  the  Faith  ?  Ah ! 
My  conceited  scions  of  the  Imperial  race,  are  you 
all  you  might  be  and  ought  to  be  after  thirteen 
centuries  of  Christian  teaching?  Be  careful,  then, 
how  you  criticise  the  product  of  only  seventeen 
years  of  labor.  Look  to  yourselves  when  you  dog- 
matically clamor  that  a  country  which,  for  twenty- 
five  centuries,  has  had  only  the  dim  light  of  natural 
religion  to  guide  it,  should  bring  forth  characters 


214  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

fully  competent  to  comprehend  and  practice  the 
precepts  of  our  revealed  religion  as  our  most  noble 
Christians  do. 

But,  incredible  as  it  may  seem,  the  most  power- 
ful auxiliary  of  the  missionaries  is  the  Japanese 
Government.  You  may  rest  assured  that  the 
government  never  dreamed  of  rendering  any  as- 
sistance to  the  Christian  faith  when  they  began  to 
introduce  civilization.  But  they  are  now  begin- 
ning to  realize  the  fact  that  the  foreign  civilization 
that  they  have  been  so  carefully  importing  during 
the  past  six  years  is  the  product  of  Christian  prin- 
ciples, and  that  by  introducing  our  civilization  they 
arc  introducing  Christianity  itself.  This  fact  aston- 
ishes them  immeasurably,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  we 
ourselves  do  but  dimly  realize  ;  yet  such  is  the 
case. 

A  prominent  counsellor,  imported  from  England 
by  the  government,  said  that  all  Japan  needed  was 
civilization  and  beefsteak.  The  gentleman  furnish- 
ing this  advice  was  an  infidel,  and  evidently  did  not 
realize  the  fact  that  whatever  was  good  in  the 
civilization  of  Europe  and  America  was  based  upon 
Christian  principles.  The  religion  and  the  civiliza- 
tion of  a  country  go  hand  in  hand.  Show  me  the 
Druidical  mysteries,  the  fetiches  of  the  African 
savages,  and  I  will  show  you  a  degraded  civiliza- 
tion. Show  me  the  nonentities  of  Shintoism  and 
of  Buddhism,  and  I  will  show  a  civilization  charac- 
terized by  social  and  intellectual  stagnation,  and  by 
spiritual  and  political  degradation.     Show  me  the 


MISSIONAR  y    WORJC  IN  JAPAN.  2 1 5 

sensuous  creed  of  the  Turks,  and  I  will  show  you 
the  vilest  civilization  of  to-day.  Show  me  the 
comic  mythology  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  based 
upon  the  vagaries  of  childish  imaginations,  and  I 
will  show  you  a  civilization  possessing  many  excel- 
lent qualities,  but  uninfluenced  by  any  deep  moral 
undercurrents,  and  characterized  by  selfishness  and 
cruelty.  In  short,  give  me  the  general  features  of 
any  religion,  and  I  can  show  you,  with  reasonable 
certainty,  the  nature  of  the  civilization  prevailing 
among  its  votaries.  These  terms  denote  correla- 
tive conditions  of  society.  Religion  is  the  cause, 
civilization  is  the  effect. 

And  the  Japanese,  who  have  been  so  assiduously 
introducing  our  civilization,  arc  now  startled  with 
the  discovery  that  they  have  been  but  pioneers  for 
Christian  missionaries.  They  now  see  that  the  in- 
tellectual qualities,  the  animal  passions,  and  the 
selfish  desires  of  nations  under  Christian  influence, 
are  controlled  and  curbed  by  some  moral  power 
that  they  had  not  noticed.  And  they  also  see  that, 
but  for  the  checking  force  of  these  moral  princi- 
ples, the  tremendous  faculties  of  Europe  and 
America  would  be  dangerous  to  the  world.  While 
they  have  assiduously  cultivated  the  intellectual 
powers  of  their  youth,  are  intensifying  their  appe- 
tites and  passions  by  nourishing  and  stimulating 
food,  yet  they  have  put  no  guide  on  the  road,  have 
put  no  brake  on  the  wheels,  have  introduced  no 
moral  power  to  restrain  the  undue  exercise  of  these 
mental  and  physical  powers.     They  find  Shintoism 


2  1 6  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

and  Buddhism  quite  powerless  to  do  so.  Nor  can 
the  copious  and  bitter  draughts  of  infidelity,  al- 
ready freely  imbibed,  accomplish  this  end.  Nothing 
under  the  sun  but  the  Gospel  of  Christ  can  do  it. 

This  fact  was  most  whimsically  acknowledged  by 
the  Japanese  when  the  Mitsui  Bank  was  started  in 
Tokio.  This  is  a  national  bank,  and  is  backed  up 
with  the  money  of  the  government.  Young  Japan- 
ese had  been  specially  educated  abroad  to  carry  on 
the  banking  system  on  approved  foreign  principles. 
They  were  intelligent,  capable,  and  shrewd.  They 
made  excellent  cashiers,  tellers,  book-keepers,  and 
clerks,  so  far  as  the  merely  executive  qualities  were 
concerned.  They  possessed  every  intellectual  re- 
(juirement  necessary  for  carrying  on  a  bank.  But 
they  were  too  intelligent  !  They  were  so  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  financing  that  they  under- 
stood many  little  methods  of  deflecting  cash  from 
the  treasury  into  their  own  pockets.  And  there 
was  no  power  except  fear  that  could  prevent  their 
doing  so ;  and  fear  had  but  little  effect,  as  there 
was  hardly  any  danger  that  the  capitalists,  com- 
posed of  effete  Daimios  and  of  government  officers 
unfamiliar  with  banking,  could  detect  how  the  cash 
disappeared.  In  this  predicament,  one  of  the  bank 
officers,  with  great  candor  and  solicitude,  came  and 
explained  the  situation  to  one  of  the  missionaries. 
He  frankly  admitted  that  he  did  not  believe  in  any 
religion  whatsoever.  He  claimed  that  the  Japanese 
intellect  was  of  too  philosophical  a  nature  to  accept 
the  Jewish  myth  called  Christianity.     *'  But,"  said 


MISSIONAR  Y    WORK  IN  JAPAN.  2  I  7 

he,  "  your  religion  does  something  that  our  religions 
cannot  do.  //  makes  men  hoficst.  Now,  we  wish 
our  employes  at  the  bank  to  be  carefully  instructed 
in  these  principles,  so  that  they  may  learn  to  dis- 
charge their  duties  with  scrupulous  integrity." 

This  story  is  thoroughly  characteristic.  Fre- 
quently have  I  met  men  in  America  who  have  can- 
didly admitted  that,  though  not  professing  Chris- 
tians themselves  yet  they  would  not  care  to  live 
in  communities  where  business  was  not  influenced 
by  Christian  principles,  and  where  they  could  not 
deal  with  Christian  people.  And  if  it  were  not  for 
the  factor  of  absolute  integrity  that  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  the  banking  system  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  where  would  be  our  immense  fabric  of 
commercial  exchange  ?  Were  it  not  for  the  fact 
that  Christian  sentiment  had  made  fidelity  in  com- 
mercial affairs  to  be  of  paramount  importance,  the 
international  transactions  of  the  present  day  would, 
indeed,  be  of  a  limited  nature. 

At  one  time  the  government  insisted  that  Chris- 
tianity should  not  be  taught  in  their  schools  in  any 
shape  whatsoever.  They  even  went  so  far  as  to 
insert  in  some  of  their  contracts  a  clause  to  the 
effect  that  no  instruction  should  be  given  upon  this 
subject.  Yet  it  is  impossible  to  explain  the  senti- 
ment and  the  illustrations  of  our  great  writers  with- 
out teaching  much  concerning  Christianity.  The 
vast  bulk  of  our  literature  is  so  impregnated  with 
Christian  sentiment  that  it  is  absolutely  impossible 
to  eliminate  or  to  avoid  it  while  teaching  this  sub- 


2  1 8  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

ject.  A  great  part  of  my  teaching  in  the  govern- 
ment schools  of  Japan  has  been  pure  missionary 
work.  It  was  necessarily  so.  It  would  have  been 
impossible  for  it  to  have  been  otherwise. 

But  I  must  close  this  letter.  I  could  write  a 
volume  tracing  the  growth  of  our  literature,  our 
social  customs,  and  our  political  institutions  from 
the  principles  of  the  Gospels.  But  time  forbids.  I 
can  only  state  in  brief  my  candid  conclusions  upon 
this  subject,  derived  from  several  years  of  close  ob- 
servation. I  shall  not  attempt  to  argue  the  matter, 
to  quote  voluminous  authorities,  or  to  make  a  te- 
dious demonstration  by  clumsy  logical  methods. 
But,  in  the  language  of  Greenleaf,  I  will  close  by 
saying  that  the  truth  of  any  hypothesis  is  estab- 
lished by  its  coincidence  with  existing  phenomena. 
Yours  truly, 

Theopiiilus  Pratt. 


THE    CITADEL    i>K    t)WARI    CAsTl.E. 

I Xatiz-f  Photograph. ) 


LETTER   XIII. 

A  TRIP   THROUGH    CLASSIC   JAPAN. 

Kioto,  Japan,  August  3,  1877. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus  : 

I  shall  start  to-morrow  on  a  tour  through  the 
provinces  that  lie  north,  east,  and  south  of  Kioto. 
This  is  the  classic  part  of  Japan.  Our  route  will 
be  northward  across  Lake  Biwa  into  Echizen  ;  then, 
turning  to  the  south,  we  will  pass  through  Mino, 
Owari,  Isc,  and  Kii ;  and  then  we  will  cut  over  the 
mountains  in  a  north-westerly  direction  into  Yama- 
shiro.  My  traveling  companion  will  be  Mr.  Yana- 
gashima,  one  of  my  scholars.  He  is  well  versed  in 
Japanese  history,  and  is  very  intelligent.  I  intend 
to  carry  no  provisions  along.  I  want  to  try  the 
experiment  of  living  for  a  month  on  Japanese  diet, 
and  see  how  it  works.     Good  night. 

Aug.  4. — Left  Kioto  this  evening  at  seven 
o'clock,  and  arrived  at  Oatsu,  on  the  southern  end 
of  Lake  Biwa,  at  ten  o'clock.  Distance  seven  miles 
and  a  half.  Scenery  very  mountainous.  We  were 
stopped  three  times  by  the  vigilant  police.  The 
war  makes  them  active.  Even  natives  have  to 
carry  passports.  Put  up  at  a  hotel.  Hotel-keepers 
charge  for  best  accommodations  about  sixteen  cents 


220  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

per  day ;  for  inferior,  they  charge  about  twelve 
cents  per  day.  Oatsu  is  a  town  containing  about 
thirty  thousand  inhabitants. 

Aug.  5. — Took  one  of  the  little  steamers  that 
ply  across  the  lake.  The  trip  to  the  other  end  of 
Lake  Biwa  is  very  fine.  This  is  the  largest  body 
of  fresh  water  in  Japan.  Many  of  the  historic 
events  in  native  history  were  enacted  on  its  shores. 
Many  of  the  legends  and  myths  that  arc  most 
popular  cluster  around  it.  On  the  right  is  a  hill 
around  which  a  gigantic  centipede  is  said  in  ancient 
times  to  have  entwined  itself  seven  times,  and  then 
buried  its  head  beneath  the  waters  under  the 
bridge  that  spanned  the  river.  On  the  left  rises  a 
lofty  range  of  mountains,  where  lived  the  famous 
priest,  Benk6,  in  his  monastery.  He  was  noted,  the 
tradition  says,  for  his  vast  power.  On  one  occasion 
he  stole  a  large  bell  and  carried  it  off  up  the  moun- 
tains. But  the  unhappy  bell  kept  saying :  *'  Carry 
me  back!  Carry  me  back,  Benke!"  Night  and 
day  it  ceaselessly  cried  out,  so  that  the  people  all 
heard  it.  It  gave  him  no  peace  until  he  complied 
with  its  request.  His  other  exploits  would  fill  a 
volume. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  reached 
Shiotsu,  at  the  extreme  northern  end  of  the  lake. 
Take  dinner  h  la  Japonnaise,  At  half-past  five  we 
started  for  Hikita,  some  seven  miles  northward. 
The  first  four  miles  lead  through  a  series  of  rice 
plateaus,  picturesquely  flanked  by  lofty  hills.  This 
was  evidently  the  ancient  head  of  the  lake,  as  the 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN,        221 

pebbly  nature  of  the  ground  fully  attests.  At  the 
end  of  the  four  miles  we  came  to  the  boundary  post 
between  Omi  and  Echizen.  The  scenery  now  be- 
came grand.  We  descended  into  Echizen  through 
a  rugged  pass.     Put  up  at  a  hotel. 

The  productions  of  the  province  of  Omi  are 
bleached  linen,  tea,  crape,  moxUy  edges  for  tatamis^ 
porcelain,  pepper,  velvet,  silk,  fish  called  gengoro- 
funay  eels,  and  carp.  The  productions  of  the  prov- 
ince of  Echizen  are  silver,  lead,  copper,  coal,  sul- 
phur, paper  called  hosho  (the  best  paper  in  Japan, 
and  used  in  ceremonial  documents),  mosquito  nets, 
silk,  trout,  salmon,  codfish,  mulberry  trees,  hemp, 
tea,  and  lacquer.  The  word  Oifti  means  "  near  the 
river."     The  word  Echizen  means  "over  the  pass.'' 

Atig,  6. — Called  for  our  bill.     Here  it  is  : 

1.  For  night's  lodging,  supper  and  breakfast  for 
two,  30  cents. 

2.  For  sugar,  2  cents. 

3.  For  peaches,  8  cents. 
Total,  40  cents. 

Took  jinrikshas  at  half-past  six.  Rode  for  five 
miles  through  a  lovely  country  to  Tsuruga,  on  the 
Japan  Sea.  The  harbor  is  shut  in  by  lofty  moun- 
tains. The  place  is  enchanting.  This  is  the  port 
that  will  probably  be  the  next  to  be  thrown  open 
to  foreign  commerce. 

^^^g'  7' — Hired  a  boat  to  visit  Jogo,  a  place 
some  six  miles  up  the  western  side  of  the  bay. 
The  boatman  says  that  on  one  side  of  the  bay  the 
people  gain  their  living  by  hunting  and   farming; 


222  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

on  the  other  side  they  live  by  fishing.  He  also 
says  that  the  long  pine  beach  at  the  extreme  lower 
part  of  the  bay  was  made  in  one  night.  . 

The  temple  of  Jogo  is  beautifully  located  at  the 
base  of  a  mountain.  Within  a  mile  of  it  the  peo- 
ple are  forbidden  to  catch  fish.  Jogo  is  the  popular 
name  for  the  Empress  Jingo,  who  went  from  this  port 
on  a  raid  into  Corea  many  centuries  ago.  Her  other 
half  has  a  temple  in  his  honor  about  half  a  mile  off. 
Popular  tradition  says  that  he  makes  a  visit  to 
Jingo  about  once  a  year.  Beside  Jingo's  temple  a 
pretty  cascade  casts  itself  into  a  shaded  pool.  If 
you  bathe  in  this  water  you  will  be  free  from  sick- 
ness for  a  year — provided  you  have  handed  over  to 
the  priest  that  attends  the  shrine  the  full  allowance 
of  money.  Here  we  found  an  old  woman  and  a 
maiden  under  the  water  endeavoring  to  obtain  the 
desired  blessing. 

We  then,  on  our  way  back,  visited  the  ubiqui- 
tous shrine  of  Benierty  picturesquely  located  on  a 
little  promontory. 

Then  we  pass  a  stone  slab  rising  out  of  the 
water;  upon  it  is  an  image  of  Jiso,  the  Buddhist 
priest.  Those  who  are  unable  to  swim  are  called 
stone  Jisos.  Through  its  breast  is  a  small  hole. 
The  story  goes  that  during  a  great  battle  fought 
five  hundred  years  ago  between  Nitta  and  Ashi- 
kaga,  a  stray  shot  pierced  it.  The  clumsy  match- 
locks of  the  thirteenth  century  could  never  have 
done  such  execution  at  a  distance  of  three  miles. 
The  yarn  is  charming,  nevertheless. 


A    TRIP   THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.         223 

Aug.  8. — Have  been  out  on  a  tramp  through 
the  town  of  Tsuruga.  We  first  visited  the  site  of 
the  ancient  castle  of  Nitta.  It  was  built  on  a  steep 
cliff  outside  of  the  town.  The  position  is  very- 
strong,  but  Ashikaga  led  his  legions  right  up  the 
face  of  the  hill  and  stormed  the  place.  No  trace  of 
the  castle  is  left,  but  the  peasants  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  say,  that  in  digging  about  the  underbrush 
on  the  steep  hillside,  they  sometimes  unearth 
charred  rice,  which  must  be  the  debris  of  the  burnt 
store-houses  of  the  ancient  castle.  This  was  the 
last  battle  between  Nitta  and  Ashikaga.  Near  this 
spot  is  the  grave  of  Takayoshi  Shinno,  a  great 
friend  and  defender  of  the  ancient  Mikados.  His 
melancholy  fate  excites  pity  in  the  breast  of  every 
true  samurai.  He  fought  against  the  Imperial 
enemies  in  Kaga,  Mino,  Echigo,  and  Echizcn.  He 
died  prematurely,  and  was  buried  here.  For  cent- 
uries his  sepulcher  was  unknown,  but  after  the 
Imperial  restoration  the  spot  was  discovered  and 
marked.  Some  ancient  families  in  the  vicinity 
treasured  up  the  fact  and  imparted  it  to  the  govern- 
ment. Climbing  up  the  path  and  pushing  aside 
the  underbrush,  you  see  merely  an  insignificant 
bamboo  fence.  Upon  a  square  wooden  post  is 
written  the  name  of  the  hero,  the  date  when  the 
name  was  written,  and  a  strict  prohibition  against 
entering  the  inclosure. 

In  the  afternoon  we  went  to  Matswara,  beyond 
the  other  end  of  the  town.  Here  is  the  place  where 
some  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  samurai  were 


224  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

decapitated  and  buried  about  twenty  years  ago. 
These  gentlemen  were  led  by  the  Prince  of  Iga, 
whose  head  also  fell  on  this  bloody  occasion.  They 
were  bitterly  opposed  to  the  introduction  of  for- 
eigners, but  the  Bakufu  did  not  sustain  their  views. 
Then  Takada,  the  prince,  went  roving  with  them 
through  the  provinces  trying  to  stir  up  revolution 
against  the  Shogun.  They  came  over  the  moun- 
tains into  Echizen.  But  here  they  were  stopped 
by  the  Kaga  samurai.  They  delivered  up  their 
swords  and  bodies  to  the  Kaga  gentlemen  and 
awaited  the  decision  of  the  Shogun.  The  answer 
was  decapitation  to  a  man.  The  spot  is  marked 
with  stone  monuments. 

Aug.  9. — At  10  P.M.  we  took  the  steamer  that 
goes  fifty-five  miles  up  the  coast  to  Mikun^,  the 
sea-port  of  the  capital  of  this  province. 

Aug.  10. — Reached  Mikun^  this  morning.  The 
population  is  about  fifteen  thousand.  Tookjinrik- 
sha  for  Fukui,  twelve  miles  to  the  east.  Arrived 
at  II  A.M.  Fukui  is  built  in  the  center  of  an  ex- 
tensive stretch  of  rice-growing  country.  At  half- 
past  eleven  we  took  jinriksha  for  Togu,  six  miles 
and  a  half  to  the  east.  The  road  led  through  rice 
and  hemp  fields.  From  Togu  we  walked  five  miles 
to  Okubo.  The  road  led  through  a  pretty  moun- 
tainous country.  Hotel  passable.  People  kind  and 
attentive.  Only  one  foreigner  has  ever  been  in  the 
place. 

Atig.  II. — Left  Okubo  and  walked  twelve  miles 
to  Ono.     Our  road  led  through  a  long  stretch  of 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.        225 

lovely  mountain  scenery.  Hemp  and  trees  produc- 
ing lacquer  are  extensively  -cultivated.  Ono  is 
situated  in  a  gem  of  a  valley.  The  lofty  mountains 
abruptly  rise  on  all  sides.  The  city  contains  about 
forty-five  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  well  built. 
Everybody  seems  to  be  reeling  silk  from  thousands 
of  cocoons.  Takada,  in  his  tramp,  passed  through 
here,  but  was  not  very  warmly  received. 

From  Ono  we  continued  our  southerly  course, 
climbing  a  mountain  covered  with  verdure  to  its 
very  summit.  From  the  summit  the  view  was  su- 
perb. Behind  us  lay  Ono,  the  variegated  fields, 
the  sandy  streams,  and  the  engroved  villages  scat- 
tered through  the  glens.  While  in  front  of  us, 
down  in  the  rugged  depths  of  the  mountains,  lies  a 
sublime  valley.  A  torrent  pours  through  it.  On 
its  further  slope  lies  a  thatched  village.  Surely 
nothing  can  surpass  this  in  beauty  !  -Hunting  and 
fishing  are  good.  Only  two  foreigners  have  ever 
visited  this  section  of  country. 

The  people  are  painfully  polite.  When  you 
pass  along  the  peasants  remove  their  head-bands. 
Should  they  chance  to  be  driving  a  large  ox  that 
compels  you  to  step  aside,  they  beg  your  pardon. 
The  school-boys  in  the  thatched  temples,  that  have 
been  turned  into  school-houses,  come  out  and  stand 
before  the  door.  Their  leader  then  gravely  steps 
forth  before  his  constituents  and  makes  a  low  bow. 
This  expresses  the  sentiments  of  the  crowd. 

In  this  vicinity  is  an  antiquated  Shinto  temple. 
The  people  about  it  are  greatly  troubled  with 
15 


2  26  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

wolves.  One  of  the  voracious  animals  destroyed  a 
man  down  in  the  hemp-fields  last  summer.  Wild 
boars  also  do  much  mischief  by  rooting  in  the 
fields.  Robbers  also  are  a  source  of  much  annoy- 
ance. At  this  old  temple  is  a  caged  wolf  of  huge 
dimensions,  and  both  robbers  and  wild  boars  greatly 
dread  the  wolf.  Therefore,  the  people  pray  to  the 
wolf  to  be  delivered  from  their  enemies.  They 
pray  that  three  wolves  may  stand  guard  over  the 
premises  of  each  one  of  them.  Although  these 
sentinel  wolves  have  never  been  seen,  yet  the  peo- 
ple believe  that  invisible  ones  are  actually  guarding 
them  and  exert  a  mysterious  influence  over  depre- 
dators. 

We  spent  the  night  at  Nakashima,  ten  miles  from 
Ono.  Takada  and  his  gang  of  ronins  burnt  this 
place  in  the  most  brutal  and  unprovoked  manner 
during  their  "raid. 

Aug.  12. — We  left  Nakashima  and  followed  the 
road  through  fine  mountain  scenery.  At  ten  o'clock 
we  crossed  from  Echizen  into  Mino.  We  now  have 
wild  and  rugged  mountains.  The  country  is  un- 
cultivated and  much  resembles  the  Adirondacks. 
The  lofty  mountains  are  covered  to  their  summits 
with  groves  of  walnut,  oak,  chestnut,  beech,  and 
horse-chestnut.  A  thick  underbrush  fills  in  all 
spare  ground.  Wild  boars  and  deer  abound. 
Here  is  also  found  the  kamosishi,  a  kind  of  ibex. 
Legions  of  monkeys  run  wild  everywhere.  They 
sometimes  descend  into  the  regions  of  rice-fields 
and  make  sad   havoc  with  the  crops.     We  made 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.         227 

twenty-five  miles  to-day ;  the  last  ten  miles  were 
indescribably  grand  ;  the  scenery  was  majestic  ;  the 
road  went  around  the  mountain  side  many  hundred 
feet  above  the  torrents ;  sometimes  it  passed  over 
dizzy  chasms ;  sometimes  over  scaffoldings  built 
along  the  face  of  precipices;  sometimes  over  frail 
bridges  ;  and  sometimes  over  planks  that  trembled 
as  you  crossed  the  chasms  they  spanned  ;  the 
mountains  have  been  packed  together  in  the  closest 
possible  order,  and  they  are  about  as  steep  as  it  is 
possible  for  them  to  be  without  letting  slide  the 
immense  mass  of  vegetation  that  covers  them.  In 
fact,  in  some  places,  the  face  of  a  hill  has  slipped 
away,  carrying  the  thundering  avalanche  of  trees 
and  rocks  into  the  torrents  below.  We  passed  two 
lovely  cascades.  One  is  three  hundred  feet  high. 
In  one  place  we  had  to  creep  along  the  face  of  a 
clifl  where  a  wrong  step  would  probably  have 
plunged  us  down  fifteen  hundred  feet.  At  one 
place  the  ravine  is  spanned  by  a  swinging  bridge. 
It  is  said  the  architects  derived  their  idea  of  the 
plan  by  seeing  hundreds  of  monkeys  join  hands 
and  form  a  cable  from  side  to  side.  Old  Takada 
came  over  the  greater  part  of  this  road  on  horse- 
back. He  was  eighty  years  old.  He  must  have 
possessed  considerable  vigor,  for  the  road  is  really 
a  rough  foot-path.  At  ten  o'clock  we  reached 
Tenjin.  While  Yanagashima  was  taking  his  bath, 
the  floor  fell  out  of  the  room  and  precipitated  him 
into  the  yard,  to  the  unfeigned  horror  of  the  land- 
lady, who  was  profuse  in  explanations  and  apolo- 


2  28  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

gies.  He,  however,  resumed  his  ablutions  undis- 
mayed. Tired  ?  Rather.  But  he  is  developing 
into  a  first-rate  walker. 

Aug.  13. — We  made  thirty-five  miles  to-day. 
In  the  morning  we  again  passed  through  some 
magnificent  scenery.  The  rocks  indicate  the  pres- 
ence of  iron  and  coal.  The  geology  of  the  coun- 
try is  very  interesting.  There  has  been  much 
erosion  and  drift.  In  one  place  the  water  has  worn 
for  itself  a  deep  channel  through  the  rocks.  By 
midday  we  struck  the  foot-hills,  and  were  again  in 
the  region  of  pine  trees.  We  passed  extensive 
fields  of  taro,  beans,  millet,  and  rice.  We  found 
the  people  very  inquisitive,  but  respectful.  By 
three  o'clock  we  reached  Inozoka.  From  this  point 
we  took  jinrikshas  to  Yorotaki,  a  pretty  cascade 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  high.  It 
is  a  famous  resort  for  picnic  parties.  It  is  beauti- 
fully located  in  a  glen  filled  with  trees.  The  spark- 
ling spray  combines  beautifully  with  the  sunlight 
and  the  shadows. 

Aug.  14. — From  Yorotaki  we  went  through  a 
long  stretch  of  level  country  to  Gi-Fu,  the  capital 
of  Mino.  It  is  in  a  favorable  location.  Place  is 
well  built.  The  productions  of  the  province  of 
Mino  are  silver,  copper,  lead,  wood  for  carving  and 
engraving,  melons,  persimmons,  tea,  hemp,  pepper, 
rice-beer,  crape,  cloth,  porcelain,  carp,  trout. 

Aug.  15. — Spent  in  Nagoya,  in  Owari.  This  is 
one  of  the  five  great  cities  of  Japan.  Its  castle 
is  one  of   the  finest.     Upon  its  Tenshiu  (citadel) 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.         229 

were  formely  two  immense  fishes  plated  with  pure 
gold.  They  adorned  the  gable  ends,  and  for  miles 
you  could  catch  their  glitter.  We  spent  a  day  in 
inspecting  the  castle  and  Tenshiu.  This  Tenshiu 
rises  some  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  the 
waters  of  the  moat.  It  is  five  stories  high.  In 
the  lowermost  story  you  can  place  two  thousand 
soldiers.  The  timbers  used  in  its  construction  are 
most  massive.  From  the  summit  your  eye  takes 
in  the  waters  of  Owari  Bay,  the  rice-fields  of  Owari 
Province,  and  the  distant  mountains  of  Shinano 
and  Mino.  From  this  lofty  place  the  movements 
of  an  enemy  can  be  accurately  inspected  miles 
away.  This  Tenshiu  was  almost  impregnable 
against  feudal  assaults,  but  against  modern  weap- 
ons it  would  be  useless.  It  would  present  a  splen- 
did target  for  artillery  practice. 

The  general  features  of  this  castle  much  resemble 
that  of  Hirosaki.  It  is,  however,  more  extensive. 
It  was  one  of  the  strongest  outposts  of  the  Toku- 
gawas.  Being  only  three  days  journey  from  Kioto, 
it  was  most  conveniently  situated  for  watching 
Yamashiro  and  the  central  Daimiatcs. 

Nagoya  is  the  great  center  of  inland  commerce. 
The  productions  of  Owari  Province,  of  which  it  is 
the  capital,  are  crystals,  agate,  silk,  cotton,  earthen- 
ware, ironware,  and  fans.  Porcelain,  of  course, 
forms  a  vast  article  of  manufacture.  The  city  is 
built  on  a  little  rising  ground  that  gently  slopes 
down  to  Owari  Bay,  a  few  miles  off. 

Aug.  16 — To-day  we  left  Nagoya  and  continued 


230  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

our  journey  due  southward  into  Is^,  the  long,  narrow 
province  that  borders  Owari  Bay  on  the  west. 
This  is  one  of  the  oldest  portions  of  Japan.  Our 
road  is  level,  and  we  travel  by  jinriksha  entirely. 
Two-thirds  of  Is6  is  a  rice-field.  The  mountains 
on  the  west  separate  it  from  Iga,  the  track  of 
whose  prince  we  have  been  tracing.  We  covered 
thirty-five  miles  to-day.  Spent  the  night  at  Kambe. 
The  productions  of  Is^  are  tea,  oil,  wax,  cotton, 
dyed  paper,  crabs,  clams,  lacquerware,  tobacco, 
garden  seeds,  hydrangeas,  copper,  coal,  and  porce- 
lain called  bankoyaki.  The  productions  of  the  ad- 
joining Province  of  Iga  are  coal,  sulphur,  sand  for 
polishing,  and  earthenware  called  Iga-yaki. 

Aug.  17. — We  covered  thirty-five  miles  to-day. 
We  spent  the  night  at  Yamada  (mountain-field). 
In  this  vicinity  are  the  shrines  of  Is6.  They  are 
ranked  among  the  oldest  temples  in  Japan.  The 
place  is  about  five  miles  from  Futami,  where  the 
sun  is  said  to  have  first  risen  between  two  rocks 
that  rise  from  the  sea.  Around  Is6  cluster  all  the 
myths  and  legends  of  Shintoism,  the  primitive  re- 
ligion of  Japan.  This  religion  was  a  pastoral  re- 
ligion. The  aboriginal  hunters  and  tillers  of  the 
soil  offered  up  the  fruits  of  their  toil  to  the  un- 
known powers  that  controlled  nature.  The  early 
temples  were  probably  like  wigwams,  built  of  poles 
crossed  at  the  top  and  covered  with  skins  or  thatch. 
Then  more  elaborate  structures  were  built,  but  the 
original  form  was  retained,  and  even  to-day  you 
find  the  roofs  of  all  Shinto  temples  disfigured  with 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.        23 1 

the  projecting  rafters  that  cross  each  other  like  the 
original  poles  twenty-five  hundred  years  ago.  And 
the  heavy  beams  that  resemble  cannons  laid  across 
the  ridge  pole  probably  represent  the  logs  that 
weighted  down  the  thatched  roof  of  some  primeval 
shrine.  Into  this  religion  has  become  welded  the 
doctrine  of  the  divinity  of  the  Mikado.  Pure 
Shintoism  is  not  idolatry.  It  was  the  worship  of 
the  Invisible  by  a  simple  pastoral  community. 
It  had  no  code  of  morality,  no  literature  ex- 
pounding doctrines  relating  to  pure  life,  and  no 
teachings  that  can  compare  with  the  teachings  of 
other  great  religions.  All  its  temples  are  built  in  a 
style  of  severe  simplicity.  No  idols  are  to  be 
found  in  any  of  their  temples.  The  only  ornament 
is  an  enshrined  steel  mirror  about  a  foot  in  diame- 
ter. Before  this  they  bow  and  pray  :  "  as  the  mir- 
ror reflects  our  faces,  so  may  the  Invisible  reflect 
upon  our  minds  our  sins  and  duties."  Shintoism  is 
doubtless  a  vast  improvement  on  some  forms  of 
idolatry  to  be  met  with  in  Asia.  But  its  great 
weakness  is,  that  while  it  recognizes  the  fact  that 
men  should  be  good,  it  utterly  neglects  to  tell  them 
how  to  be  good.  It  fails  to  grive  a  single  command- 
ment or  evolve  a  solitary  principle  of  morality.  It 
is  utterly  inefficient  to  raise  men  even  so  high  as 
Buddhism  has  done.  If  you  believe  the  Mikado  to 
be  of  divine  descent  and  obey  him,  you  can  not  fail 
to  be  a  good  Shintoist.  It  must  always  fail  as  a 
religion.  The  experience  of  four  thousand  years 
has  shown  that  men  need  very  minute  and  careful 


232  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

instructions  in  the  very  difficult  carrying  out  of  so 
very  simple  a  thing  as  being  good. 

The  temples  of  Ise  are  prettily  located  in 
spacious  grounds,  but  in  themselves  they  are  not 
remarkable  for  architectural  beauty.  The  present 
buildings  have  stood  about  a  century. 

A  lengthy  description  of  these  shrines  would 
take  us  much  beyond  the  limits  of  our  letter.  For 
further  information  in  regard  to  Shintoism,  I  refer 
you  to  the  paper  on  the  **  Revival  of  Pure  Shinto," 
by  Mr.  Satow,  in  the  Asiatic  Reports  for  1874  or 
1875. 

Aug.  18. — We  continued  our  southerly  course. 
We  intend  to  visit  the  province  of  Kii  and  the  cas- 
cade of  Natchi,  near  its  southern  part.  This  is  the 
cascade  that  steamers  coming  along  the  coast  can 
see  at  a  great  distance.  This  section  of  the  country 
has  never  been  explored  by  foreigners. 

After  going  ten  miles  we  had  to  leave  our 
jinrikshas  and  walk.  The  country  was  very  pretty 
and  hilly.  Owing  to  the  uncertainty  of  the  dis- 
tance between  the  last  two  towns,  I  am  unable  to 
say  how  much  I  walked  to-day.  Each  traveler  we 
met  gave  a  different  figure  of  the  distance.  Very 
few  people  anyway  will  give  the  same  answer  to 
the  query  as  to  how  great  the  distance  is.  But  the 
elasticity  of  this  afternoon's  walk  ranged  all  the 
scale  between  four  and  fifteen  miles. 

Atig.  19. — Walked  seventeen  miles  to  Nagashima. 
Then  we  walked  over  the  mountains  to  a  deep  in- 
let, and  took  a  boat  from  Furusatto  to  Shirora. 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.         233 

Distance,  six  miles.  Then  we  walked  a  mile  and  a 
half  over  the  hills  and  struck  another  inlet.  Took 
boat  again  for  Owashi.  Distance,  seven  miles. 
Our  entire  journey  to-day  has  been  along  the  sea 
coast.  On  the  right  hand,  the  lofty  mountains  rise 
in  indescribable  grandeur.  Panthers,  deer,  and  wild 
boars  abound  in  the  valleys.  The  entire  southern 
and  eastern  portions  of  this  province  are  exceed- 
ingly mountainous.  As  the  natives  say,  the  moun- 
tains are  literally  placed  side  by  side.  In  all  eligible 
localities,  the  hamlets  are  nestled.  This  province 
produces  crude  camphor,  tobacco,  cotton,  pepper, 
lime,  candle-wax,  umbrellas,  round  fans,  little  egg- 
shaped  oranges,  and  lacquerware.  The  fishermen 
along  the  coast  also  bring  in  an  occasional  whale, 
which  Yanagashima  classes  among  the  produc- 
tions. 

Aug,  20. — Left  Owashi  and  walked  seven  miles 
over  very  steep  mountains.  Striking  another  inlet, 
we  again  took  boat  some  five  miles.  These  inlets 
are  lovely.  They  are  full  of  fish.  Fishing-boats 
are  scattered  everywhere.  Some  are  gliding  in 
from  the  Pacific  well  freighted  with  spoil.  Some 
are  in  the  deep  shadows  of  the  headlands.  When 
the  fish  will  not  bite,  the  anglers  beat  the  water 
with  a  switch,  so  that  the  denizens  of  the  deep  may 
fancy  it  is  raining.  Should  they  then  refuse  to 
bite,  they  are  well  scolded. 

We  then  walked  thirteen  miles  to  Kinomoto. 
The  walk  was  severe.  The  population  of  this 
place   is   four   thousand.      We   hadn't    been    five 


234  ^^  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

minutes  in  the  hotel  before  two  policemen  bounced 
in  for  our  passports. 

What  interested  me  most  to-day  was  the  univer- 
sal habit  of  smoking  cigars.  Even  the  women  and 
children  smoked.  They  take  a  camelia  leaf  and 
roll  it  into  a  cornucopia.  This  they  fill  with  to- 
bacco, and  go  puffing  along  as  if  they  had  tin  fun- 
nels in  their  mouths.  Bundles  of  camelia  leaves 
are  sold  all  along  the  roadside  for  two  mills  per 
bundle.  I  have  never  seen  this  anywhere  else  in 
Japan. 

The  people  here  are  hearty  and  healthy.  Their 
noses  are  really  Jewish  in  shape.  In  these  moun- 
tains you  will  find  the  people  as  they  have  been  for 
two  thousand  years.  The  place  is  out  of  the  way. 
Foreign  elements  have  never  mixed  in.  Here  you 
find  the  pure  Japanese  race.  The  fleets  of  Javanese 
junks  that  probably  drifted  up  here  on  the  Black 
Stream  during  the  past  centuries  would  find  this 
promontory  convenient  for  landing.  When  the  pop- 
ulation increased,  it  could  pass  over  the  mountains 
into  Owari,  Is^,  and  Yamashiro,  and  mix  with  the 
Ainos.  But  it  offered  no  inducement  with  its  wild 
mountains  for  immigration  in  return.  The  people 
are  certainly  an  improvement  on  the  Japanese  I 
have  hitherto  met.  The  corruptions  of  feudalism 
also  had  less  scope  here  among  the  rugged  cliffs. 
And  so  the  people  of  these  mountains  are  about 
the  same  as  they  have  been  for  many  centuries. 
The  climate  along  the  coast  is  very  delightful  at  all 
seasons. 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.         235 

Aug,  21. — Left  Kinnemoto  and  went  twelve  miles 
by  jinriksha  along  the  sea  shore.  The  road  led 
through  pine  groves,  across  hills,  and  through 
much  varied  and  beautiful  scenery.  Then  took 
kago  at  Atawa  and  went  fourteen  miles  to  Hama- 
no-mia  (shore  temple).  This  place  is  within  three 
miles  of  Natchi-no-taki.  We  spent  the  night  at  a 
Buddhist  temple  that  has  been  turned  into  a  hotel. 
Since  the  Revolution,  this  sect  has  become  very 
much  impoverished.  Many  of  the  monasteries 
have  fallen  into  decay.  We  found  two  very  valu- 
able relics  at  this  place.  One  was  a  piece  of  cam- 
phor wood  with  an  inscription  upon  it.  The  abbot 
said  that  it  was  thirteen  hundred  years  old.  We 
wanted  to  buy  it,  but  he  said  money  was  no  induce- 
ment to  part  with  it.  Another  relic  was  a  little  bell 
heavily  alloyed  with  gold.  It  produced  a  very  sweet 
note.  This  was  a  thousand  years  old.  It  was  well 
authenticated.  It  had  been  handed  down  for  fifty 
generations  from  abbot  to  abbot.  It  was  brought 
from  China  by  the  priest  Ji-kaku  Daishi.  This 
relic  he  was  induced  to  part  with  for  a  pecuniary 
consideration. 

Aug,  22. — Arrived  at  the  falls  of  Natchi.  It  is 
about  three  miles  back  from  the  sea-coast.  It  is 
nearly  five  hundred  feet  high.  Its  source  is  a 
mountain  stream  that  comes  from  the  range  of 
Natchi-san.  The  scenery  surrounding  it  is  very 
wild  and  exceedingly  grand.  Within  a  radius  of  a 
few  miles  are  other  cascades  numbering,  according 
to  native  estimates,  forty-eight.     None  of   them, 


236  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

however,  are  more  than  half  the  size  of  this  one. 
At  its  base  are  many  shrines  and  tea  booths  for  the 
pilgrims  that  flock  hither  every  summer.  On  one 
or  two  occasions  boats  from  passing  steamers  have 
landed  crews  to  examine  the  falls.  The  people 
living  in  the  vicinity  are  very  respectful,  and  take 
ver}'  little  notice  of  strangers.  There  are  no  regu- 
lar hotels  in  the  vicinity.  The  well-to-do  people, 
living  in  the  valley  and  on  the  steep  mountain  side, 
offer  the  hospitality  of  their  roofs  to  visitors. 
When  crowds  are  not  pressing,  they  take  turns  in 
acting  the  host.  We  were  referred  well  up  the 
mountain  side  to  a  house  situated  on  a  bold  crag 
overlooking  the  valley  and  the  falls.  So  lovely  was 
the  place  that  we  decided  to  stay  here  a  couple  of 
days  and  enjoy  the  scenery. 

Aug,  23. — Spent  in  examining  the  falls  and  in 
visiting  some  of  the  old  temples.  Our  host  showed 
us  some  letters  that  had  been  written  by  some 
princes  in  the  time  of  Yoritomo,  nearly  eight  hun- 
dred years  ago.  Yanagashima  had  some  difficulty  in 
reading  them,  as  the  characters  dififered  somewhat 
from  the  modern  characters.  One  letter  was  from 
a  feudal  lord  to  his  treasurer,  ordering  him  to  pre- 
sent a  suitable  gift  to  a  certain  samurai  oi  another 
clan  who  had  respectfully  descended  from  his  horse 
when  his  lordship  came  down  the  road.  Another 
letter  spoke  about  the  widening  of  the  castle  moat 
and  the  securing  of  workmen  for  the  task.  These 
letters  would  be  very  interesting  to  any  one  desir- 
ing to   write  up  a  history  of  old  times.     In  this 


A    TRIP   THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.        237 

vicinity  are  many  such  ancient  documents.  This 
whole  promontory  would  be  a  fine  field  for  anti- 
quarians. 

Aug.  24. —  I  must  take  it  easy!  I  begin  to  find 
that  Japanese  diet  is  not  quite  so  invigorating 
as  our  own.  My  eyes  begin  to  be  weak.  The 
original  aversion  that  I  had  for  rice  has  disap- 
peared. I  actually  relish  it  as  the  hostess  dips  it 
out  of  the  steaming  tub.  Rice  tastes  better  when 
eaten  with  chop-sticks.  It  should  be  eaten  piping 
hot.  If  the  Japanese  were  to  use  a  little  more 
variety  in  their  cooking  it  would  suit  my  taste 
more.  Almost  everything  is  boiled.  They  do  not 
seem  to  know  much  about  roasting  and  baking. 
Rice  is  used  at  every  meal.  The  side  dishes  are 
varied.  The  landlady  comes  in  regularly  and  takes 
our  orders.  Shall  it  be  trout,  or  beans,  or  pickled 
radish  ?  Or  perhaps  some  shrimps  would  be  pre- 
ferred ?  When  one  gets  accustomed  to  these 
dishes,  he  finds  some  of  them  very  nice.  But  a 
person  with  a  delicate  taste  would  be  a  long  time 
in  getting  accustomed  to  them.  Japanese  diet  is 
certainly  weak  when  compared  with  our  own.  You 
do  not  store  up  a  reserve  force  of  vitality  when  liv- 
ing on  it.  You  can  do  just  about  so  much  work 
every  day,  but  when  you  attempt  to  do  more  than 
your  regular  amount  you  find  it  very  wearing.  A 
jinriksha  man  will  do  splendid  work  for  a  couple  of 
days,  but  if  you  keep  him  at  it  he  breaks  down. 
Many  of  these  men  die  from  heart  disease  every 
year. 


238  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

Aug,  25. — Walked  over  the  mountains  some 
twenty  miles  and  reached  Hongu.  The  country  is 
exceedingly  rugged.  Our  course  is  now  north-east 
to  Coyasan  and  Osaca.  The  oldest  temples  in 
Japan  are  here.  They  antedate  the  shrines  of  Is6. 
They  arc  built  upon  an  immense  rectangular  plat- 
form of  granite  about  eight  feet  high.  They  are  in 
a  dilapidated  condition.  They  are  odd  structures. 
Innumerable  crows  flit  over  the  weather-beaten 
roofs,  and  fill  the  somber  groves  with  their  cease- 
less clamor.  The  legends  say  that  in  ancient  times 
they  were  gifted  with  strange  powers  of  speech. 

Aug.  26. — We  left  Hongu  and  climbed  over  the 
Endless  Mountain  for  about  ten  miles.  With  the 
exception  of  Fujiyama,  it  is  the  hardest  climbing  I 
have  done  in  Japan.  The  amount  of  water  that 
you  drink  is  surprising.  There  being  no  springs 
along  the  roadside,  your  coolie  has  to  carry  a  large 
supply  along.  The  mountain  is  about  five  thou- 
sand feet  high.  The  view  from  the  summit  is  ex- 
tremely grand.  In  all  directions  the  mountains 
roll  away  in  endless  Avaves.  A  more  rugged  region 
can  hardly  be  imagined.  There  are  no  large  towns 
here,  but  there  are  great  numbers  of  hamlets 
scattered  all  along  the  mountain  roads.  In  one  of 
the  houses  I  found  an  old  Tower  musket  with  a 
bayonet.  Inquiring  v/hcthcr  robbers  troubled  the 
people,  I  was  informed  that  wild  boars  gave  great 
trouble  in  the  potato  patches,  and  had  to  be  fought 
fiercely,  as  they  loved  potatoes  and  became  savage 
on  being  interrupted  in  their  meals.     We  traveled 


A    TRIP    THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.         239 

through  this  magnificent  country  for  about  twenty 
miles.  Stopped  for  the  night  at  Yagura,  perched 
far  up  the  mountain  side. 

Aug.  27. — Continued  our  journey  twenty-eight 
miles  along  the  tops  of  the  high  mountains.  The 
scenery,  to  be  appreciated,  must  be  seen.  A 
typhoon  came  upon  us  and  soon  made  us  as  wet  as 
you  please.  My  rubber  cloak  came  in  handy. 
There  was  something  so  weird  and  grand  in  thus 
promenading  nature  aroused  that  I  count  this  as 
the  most  enjoyable  day  of  our  excursion.  Passed 
the  night  at  Otake. 

Aug.  28. — Walked  eight  miles  more  and  made 
Coya-san.  Determined  to  stop  here  a  couple  of 
days. 

Coya  monastery  is  at  the  summit  of  a  mountain 
five  thousand  feet  high.  Deep  groves  of  superb 
cryptomeiria  that  have  been  cultivated  with  the 
greatest  care  for  many  centuries  cover  the  moun- 
tain to  its  base.  For  miles  around  the  shrines  be- 
token the  vicinity  of  the  monastery.  Coya-san  is 
the  oldest  Buddhist  monastery  in  Japan.  It  was 
founded  by  Kobu-Daishi  thirteen  hundred  years 
ago.  This  same  man  introduced  Buddhism  into 
Japan.  He  selected  this  mountain  summit  and 
built  a  small  temple,  and  spent  his  life  in  propagat- 
ing his  creed.  He  lived  a  life  of  great  self-denial. 
He  rose  early,  prayed  long  and  often,  and  fasted 
frequently.  Instead  of  using  a  mirror,  he  looked 
into  a  cistern  when  he  arranged  his  hair.  When, 
after  a  long  life  of  labor,  his  end  drew  near,  he  sent 


240  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

all  his  companions  away  from  the  temple.  He  told 
them  that  when  they  no  longer  heard  the  sound  of 
the  bell  that  he  tapped  when  he  prayed,  they  might 
know  that  Kobu-Daishi  was  dead.  Faintly  hummed 
the  bell  all  day  long.  Fainter  were  its  notes  as 
night  drew  on ;  and  in  the  gray  dawn,  when  the 
priests  slid  back  the  shojccs,  Kobu-Daishi  lay  dead 
upon  the  floor  before  Buddha  in  Nirvana,  and  was 
devoutly  clasping  his  rosary. 

But  the  temple  grew,  and  within  a  few  years  a 
vast  monastery  covered  the  mountain  summit. 
Thousands  of  priests  officiated  at  the  shrines.  The 
place  became  a  city  of  priests.  Commerce  was  in- 
terdicted ;  trade  was  not  allowed.  Profound  peace 
and  quiet  reigned.  Women  were  not  allowed 
within  five  miles  of  the  base  of  the  mountain. 
Sacred  fires  were  kept  perpetually  burning  from  the 
original  flame  that  Kobu-Daishi  brought  from 
India.  Hundreds  of  these  lights  are  kept  in  a  vast 
room.  They  never  go  out.  Priests  watch  them 
night  and  day.  Some  of  the  lamps  must  have 
been  kept  burning  many  centuries.  When  a  prince 
dies  he  will  donate  a  fund  to  the  monastery  to 
keep  a  lamp,  lit  from  Kobu-Daishi's  flame,  per- 
petually burning. 

In  front  of  this  shrine  is  a  huge  meteoric  stone 
in  a  large  cage.  The  story  is  that  when  Kobu- 
Daishi  went  to  India  he  flung  it  back  into  Japan  to 
announce  his  arrival. 

After  walking  through  many  streets  and  avenues 
lined  with  shrines  and  temples,  you  strike  out  into 


A    TRIP   THROUGH  CLASSIC  JAPAN.         24 1 

a  long,  somber  avenue  of  pine  trees  that  is  over  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  length.  On  either  hand  are 
tombs.  This  is  the  cemetery  of  the  monastery. 
Here  is  found  the  first  tombstone  erected  in  Japan. 
It  is  about  five  feet  high.  It  is  of  stone,  and  is 
more  like  a  pyramid  in  its  shape  than  anything  else 
I  can  compare  it  to.  It  is  covered  with  Sanskrit 
inscriptions,  like  all  the  other  graves.  Many  of 
the  Daimios  of  Japan  are  buried  here.  Some  of 
their  tombs  are  very  elaborate.  Granite  and  bronze 
are  the  chief  materials  employed.  All  those  buried 
here  were  first  cremated.  This  ceremony  was  often 
attended  with  very  imposing  services. 

The  Buddhist  literature  of  the  monastery  is  very 
ancient  and  valuable.  It  is  all  in  Sanskrit,  and  is 
quite  unintelligible  to  the  priests  in  general. 

At  present  there  are  not  over  three  hundred 
priests  connected  with  Coya-san,  but  in  its  palmy 
days,  before  the  Revolution,  it  numbered  from  three 
to  five  thousand. 

In  the  house  set  apart  for  a  hotel,  it  is  curious  to 
notice  all  the  servants  and  waiters  being  men. 
They  all  have  shaved  heads.  I  was  also  much  in- 
terested in  seeing  weasels  running  all  over  the 
roofs.  Upon  inquiry  we  were  informed  that  as 
the  priests  could  not  take  life  in  any  form,  they 
became  rapidly  overrun  with  rats.  Weasels  were 
then  introduced,  and  the  rats  disappeared.  But 
there  was  nothing  to  drive  away  the  weasels.  So 
for  centuries  they  have  become  permanent  fixtures. 
When  you  ask  the  priests  why  they  were  not  re- 
16 


242  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

sponsible  for  causing  the  death  of  so  many  rats, 
they  simply  reply  that  the  rats  could  have  left  had 
they  found  the  locality  too  dangerous !  Another 
feature  of  Coya-san  is  the  absence  of  mosquitoes. 
So  cool  is  the  air  that  these  tormentors  are  rarely 
seen. 

Were  I  disposed  to  dream  away  life  in  profound 
repose  and  ambitionless  existence,  I  would  select 
Coya-san. 

Aug.  30. — We  are  back  again  in  Kioto,  being 
well  pleased  and  well  tired  with  our  tramp  of  six 
hundred  miles. 


I  am  now  engaged  for  a  year,  teaching  at  Kioto. 
The  Satsuma  Rebellion  so  drained  the  government 
funds  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  close  the 
school  in  which  I  was  teaching  at  Tokio.  I  will 
endeavor  to  give  you  my  impressions  of  Kioto  be- 
fore long. 

Yours  truly, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


THE    GREAT    BEIX    AT    DAI-BITZ    TEMPI  E.    KIOTO. 

UVa//rr  Photograf>h.^ 


LETTER  XIV. 

KIOTO. 

Kioto,  September  lo,  1877. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

Kioto  is  the  most  interesting  city  in  Japan.  A 
thousand  years  of  history,  poetry,  and  romance 
cluster  around  it.  It  is  situated  in  the  Province  of 
Yamashiro  (Mountain  Castle),  in  the  heart  of  Japan. 
High  mountains  surround  it  on  the  eastern,  north- 
ern, and  western  sides,  thus  protecting  it  from  the 
cold  winds  during  the  winter,  while,  during  the 
summer,  the  sea  breezes  cool  it  from  the  south. 

Through  the  center  of  the  city  flows  the  Kamo- 
Gawa  (River  of  the  Wild  Ducks).  This  noisy 
stream,  let  loose  from  the  mountains  on  the  north, 
comes  tumbling  along  over  pebbles,  bowlders,  and 
sand-bars.  During  heavy  rains  it  assumes  formid- 
able proportions.  Three  or  four  long  wooden  bridges 
span  it,  and  connect  the  two  halves  of  the  city. 
The  Kamo-Gawa  flows  southward  through  Fusim^, 
the  southern  suburb  of  Kioto ;  thence  it  winds 
among  foot-hills  and  rice-fields  through  a  very  pic- 
turesque country  for  about  thirty  miles,  until  it 
loses  itself  in  the  waters  of  Osaca  Bay. 

In    1875,   before   the   railway   was   constructed, 


244  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

when  I  visited  Kioto  for  the  first  time,  I  had  to 
come  up  this  river  in  a  long,  flat-botlomed  boat. 
In  old  times  this  river  was  the  principal  means  of 
approach  from  Osaca. 

In  coming  here  from  Tokio,  you  may  choose 
from  three  routes.  The  quickest  is  by  steamer  to 
Kob6,  and  thence  by  railway  for  fifty  miles.  This 
journey  requires  about  three  days.  The  second 
route  is  by  the  Tokaido  over  Hakon6  Pass,  beside 
the  base  of  majestic  Fujisan,  through  the  fishing 
villages  along  the  coast  and  through  Nagoya,  and 
then  around  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Biwa  through 
a  gap  in  the  mountains  to  Kioto.  This  trip  occu- 
pies about  ten  days  journeying  hy  jmriksJta,  This 
was  the  route  by  which  I  returned  to  Tokio  in 
1875.  It  is  a  magnificent  highway,  shaded  for  a 
great  distance  by  cryptomeiria  of  centuries'  growth. 
The  third  route  is  by  the  Nakasendo  (Inland  Road). 
This  is  the  grandest  of  all  the  routes.  It  comes 
directly  through  the  inland  provinces,  crossing  the 
magnificent  mountains  of  Shinano. 

The  population  of  Kioto  numbers  about  five 
hundred  thousand  souls.  The  city  is  built  in  the 
usual  Japanese  fashion.  In  the  center  lies  the  now 
deserted  Gosho,  the  ancient  residence  of  the  em- 
perors. It  covers  but  a  few  acres  of  ground,  and 
the  gardens  and  parks  are  inclosed  with  a  high 
wall. 

Skirting  the  city  on  all  sides  are  groves,  gardens, 
pagodas,  temples,  and  monasteries.  The  encircling 
foot-hills  are  covered  with  them.     These  temples 


KIOTO,  245 

and  monasteries  formed  the  pride  and  glory  of 
Kioto.  At  one  time  in  the  city's  history  there 
were  four  thousand  of  them.  Many  of  the  monas- 
teries are  surrounded  by  deep  groves  and  acres  of 
greensward  and  shrubbery.  Immense  groves  of 
cherry  trees  are  scattered  over  all  the  foot-hills  and 
in  all  the  gardens  around  the  villas  and  temples,  so 
that  in  the  spring  the  city  seems  to  be  fringed  with 
clouds  of  white  and  pink  blossoms  which,  with  a 
background  of  majestic  mountains,  form  a  scene 
of  peerless  beauty.  Seen  at  such  times  from  the 
top  of  one  of  the  surrounding  mountains,  the  city 
lies  at  your  feet  like  a  lovely  garden — sweet  as  we 
might  imagine  a  glimpse  of  paradise  to  be. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  give  you  a  minute  descrip- 
tion of  the  various  temples  of  Kioto.  The  task 
would  be  indeed  formidable.  I  send  you,  however, 
Satow's  Guide  Book  to  Kioto,  which  will  furnish  you 
considerable  interesting  information.  I  will  only 
attempt  to  describe  three  or  four  of  the  temples 
that  have  most  impressed  me. 

Just  back  of  my  house  lies  the  monastery  of 
Chioin.  It  covers  the  entire  hill  side,  and  is  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  empire.  The  central  edifice  is  an 
immense  affair.  Like  all  the  native  structures  in 
Japan,  it  is  built  entirely  of  wood.  The  huge  pil- 
lars supporting  the  immense  roof  are  of  kayakK 
The  roof  is  a  wonderfully  heavy  affair.  Taking  the 
tiles  and  rafters  together,  the  thickness  must  be 
about  ten  feet.  The  object  of  so  heavy  a  roof  is 
to  neutralize  the  effect  of  earthquake  shocks  upon 


246  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

the  pillars.  This  structure  was  erected  two  or 
three  hundred  years  ago.  Far  up  amid  the  tangled 
maze  of  rafters,  the  priest  points  out  to  you  the 
umbrella  that  the  architect  left  sticking  there  cent- 
uries ago.  This  temple  is  considered  the  finest 
structure  of  its  kind  in  Japan.  It  was  built  regard- 
less of  expense.  In  the  grove  beside  it  is  a  belfry 
containing  the  largest  bell  in  Japan.  The  height  is 
said  to  be  eighteen  feet.  I  was  unable  to  meas- 
ure it  for  myself  as  it  hung  in  the  belfry,  but  the 
thickness  of  the  bronze  at  its  mouth  measured  ten 
inches.  Like  all  bells  in  Japan,  this  one  has  no 
tongue,  but  it  is  struck  from  the  outside  by  letting 
a  heavy  log  of  wood  swing  against  its  massive  sides. 
It  requires  eight  men  to  properly  manipulate  this 
huge  piece  of  timber  in  order  to  swing  it  with  accu- 
rate precision,  so  as  not  to  deaden  the  sound.  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  it  rung  several  times. 
The  sound  is  a  deep-toned  boom — grand  and  mag- 
nificent beyond  expression.  The  trembling  vibra- 
tions that  follow  the  boom  last  quite  a  while,  and 
fill  the  groves  with  soft  and  deeply  melancholy 
melody. 

Leaving  Chioin  and  skirting  the  suburbs  in  a 
northerly  direction,  we  come  to  a  singular  structure 
known  as  the  Kin-Kakku-Gi.  In  ancient  times  an 
emperor,  tired  of  the  seclusion  of  the  Gosho,  de- 
cided to  abdicate.  He  accordingly  built  this  resi- 
dence for  himself  in  a  most  lovely  locality  at  the 
base  of  the  mountains,  surrounding  it  with  exten- 
sive gardens  filled  with  lakes,  dwarfed  landscape, 


KIOTO.  247 

and  shrubbery.  The  ceilings  and  walls  of  the 
building  were  covered  with  sheets  of  pure  silver. 
This  location  is  specially  celebrated  for  the  superb 
view  of  the  moon  that  can  be  had  as  it  rises  over 
the  mountains.  Here  the  emperor  spent  his  life 
in  meditation  and  in  composing  poetry.  And  the 
surroundings  were  certainly  congenial  to  such  occu- 
pations, for  a  lovelier  locality  would  be  difficult  to 
find.  On  a  clear  night,  the  queenly  moon  floats 
above  the  mountain  top,  bathing  the  ravines  and 
gardens  in  a  soft,  dreamy  light ;  and  the  dwarfed 
pines  and  the  shrubbery,  reflected  in  the  calm 
waters  of  the  lakes,  seem  but  unsubstantial  crea- 
tions of  the  fancy. 

Upon  the  other  side  of  the  city  is  another  struct- 
ure of  a  similar  character,  known  as  the  Gin- 
Kakku-Gi.  It  is  upon  a  larger  scale  than  the  Kin- 
Kakku-GL  It  was  built  by  another  emperor  for 
similar  purposes.  Instead  of  being  covered  with 
sheets  of  silver,  however,  it  was  covered  with  sheets 
of  gold.     It  is  embowered  in  gardens  and  groves. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  give  any  further  descrip- 
tion of  the  temples  of  Kioto.  Even  at  the  present 
day,  they  are  numbered  by  hundreds.  Not  only 
are  the  suburbs  filled  with  these  shrines  and  monas- 
teries, but  the  surrounding  mountains  abound  with 
them.  Near  the  summit  of  Hiyeisan,  a  cone  that 
towers  to  an  altitude  of  nearly  five  thousand  feet, 
about  seven  miles  north-east  of  the  city,  is  a  superb 
monastery  that  I  shall  describe  more  at  length 
hereafter. 


248  LET  TERS  FROM  J  A  PA  N. 

Kioto  was  the  religious  center  of  Japan.  The 
emperor  was  the  patron  of  religion,  and  Buddhism 
was  the  preferred  creed.  The  monasteries  were 
famous  centers  of  ecclesiastical  learning.  As  the 
priests  were  learned  men,  their  monasteries  also  be- 
came centers  of  elegant  culture  and  refinement — 
famous  colleges,  in  fact,  where  the  gentry  were  ed- 
ucated. Emperors  have  received  tutoring  within 
these  sacred  inclosures.  Kioto  was  built  over  one 
thousand  years  ago.  The  emperor  moved  to  this 
place  from  Nara.  Although  the  surroundings  of 
Kioto  are  so  serene  and  lovely,  yet  its  history  has 
been  one  of  almost  continued  bloodshed.  For 
centuries  it  was  the  center  of  intrigue  and  civil 
discord.  Repeatedly  has  it  been  burned  to  the 
ground.  But  during  the  past  three  hundred  years, 
under  the  Tokugawa  rCgimc,  profound  peace  has 
prevailed,  and  the  city  has  prospered  greatly. 

I  found  the  Kioto  people  to  be  very  different 
from  the  Tokio  people.  They  regard  themselves 
as  the  most  cultured  portion  of  the  empire.  They 
highly  pride  themselves  upon  their  aristocratic 
blood.  They  possess  much  supercilious  pride  and 
a  vast  amount  of  indolence.  In  few  parts  of  Japan 
— I  will  go  further  and  say  that  in  no  part  of  Japan 
— are  foreigners  treated  with  such  cool  and  patron- 
izing contempt  as  here.  Nor  are  the  natives  re- 
markably popular  with  their  own  countrymen. 
They  characterize  outsiders  as  uncultured  and 
boorish — a  criticism  not  very  highly  relished  by 
Japanese  at  large,  as  you  may  naturally  infer. 


KIOTO,  249 

The  people  are  much  given  up  to  pleasure.  The 
theaters  are  numerous  and  well  patronized.  The 
various  holidays  and  festivals  are  celebrated  with 
processions  and  feastings.  Religious  festivals  are 
exceedingly  common.  Each  monastery  has  its 
ffite  days ;  the  people  celebrate  them  by  turning 
out  in  immense  crowds,  dressed  in  gala  costume, 
and  thronging  the  streets  and  groves,  picnicing 
and  gossiping  to  their  heart's  content. 

The  most  extraordinary  of  all  the  holidays  is  the 
day  set  apart  in  honor  of  the  courtesans.  In  other 
parts  of  Japan  the  observance  of  this  day  has  ceased, 
but  it  is  still  celebrated  with  much  zest  here.  I 
happened  to  be  here  last  July  when  it  was  being 
celebrated.  All  day  long  the  people  were  busy 
erecting  booths,  platforms,  and  scaffoldings  along 
the  streets  where  the  procession  was  going  to  pass 
in  the  evening.  At  dusk  the  entire  city  was  gor- 
geously illuminated  with  paper  lanterns.  The 
courtesans  slowly  paraded  the  streets  in  panto- 
mime, each  group  personating  some  domestic  or 
social  scene.  One  group  represented  a  lady  with 
her  maids  at  work  in  the  garden  ;  they  were  sprink- 
ling water  upon  the  plants,  dressing  the  shrubbery, 
and  catching  butterflies.  The  bushes,  the  flowers, 
the  soil,  and  the  general  paraphernalia  of  a  real 
garden  surrounded  them  on  all  sides  upon  moving 
platforms  and  vehicles.  The  effect  of  the  scene 
was  capital.  A  lot  of  half-tipsy  coolies  helped 
along  the  ladies  by  pulling  the  vehicles  through 
the  street. 


250  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Another  scene  represented  silk  weavers.  There 
were  the  looms  and  the  shuttles.  There  were  the 
revolving  reels  and  the  rapidly  forming  warp  and 
woof.  While  to  complete  the  domestic  scene  in 
all  its  details,  an  imitation  dog  lay  upon  the  floor 
and  wagged  its  tail  in  obedience  to  the  skillfully 
manipulated  string  of  the  attendant. 

In  another  scene  the  matron  was  in  the  kitchen 
preparing  the  evening  meal.  There  were  the  oven 
and  the  kettle,  and  the  mischievous  child  always 
in  the  way.  The  rice  was  steamed,  the  fish  was 
broiled,  and  the  salt  radish  was  cut  up,  in  a  way 
fairly  enough   to  excite  the  cravings  of  hunger. 

It  took  several  hours  for  the  various  pantomimes 
to  pass.  The  courtesans  were  dressed  with  great 
tiiagnificcnce.  Some  had  on  scv^cn  robes,  each  one 
of  which  would  have  befitted  a  queen.  Every- 
thing was  very  orderly.  The  ceremonies  were 
conducted  with  great  propriety,  and  the  crowds 
showed  great  decorum  and  respect,  as  this  was 
considered  the  courtesans'  yearly  offering  of  de- 
votion to  the  gods. 

During  the  summer  the  people  in  Kioto  take 
things  very  easy.  The  surrounding  hills  and  moun- 
tains abound  in  groves,  cascades,  and  glens.  These 
cool  resorts  are  thronged  with  jolly  picnicers  all 
day  long.  The  amount  of  rice,  wine,  and  water- 
melon that  a  Jap  can  annihilate  on  such  occasions 
is  amazing.  He  gives  up  the  entire  day,  and  fre- 
quently a  succession  of  days,  to  merry-making. 
He  calculates  to   arrive  at  the  shady  glen  before 


KIOTO.  251 

the  heat  of  the  day  has  set  in.  A  slice  of  water- 
melon is  to  be  found  in  his  hand  at  most  any  time 
before  lunch.  He  and  his  companions  lounge 
around  upon  matted  platforms  scattered  all  through 
the  glen.  Between  times  they  smoke  their  pipes 
and  gossip,  occasionally  stretching  their  limbs  and 
uttering  stentorian  yawns  that  fairly  shake  the 
trees.  Just  before  lunch  they  strip  themselves  for 
a  bath  in  the  cascade.  This  process  is  conducted 
with  boundless  sang  froidy  in  view  of  the  circum- 
stance that  the  glen  is  swarming  with  people. 
Having  whetted  their  appetites  sufficiently,  they 
take  hold  of  a  tubful  of  rice  and  a  cask  of  sak^  with 
a  zest  quite  impossible  to  describe.  Raw  carp  and 
soy  are  taken  as  relishes.  After  lunch,  they  again 
fall  upon  their  water-melons,  pipes,  and  bathing. 
Toward  sundown  another  assault  is  delivered 
against  the  rice-tub  and  wine-cask.  And  in  the 
cool  gloaming  they  disperse  and  homeward  fly, — 
provided  none  of  them  have  been  disabled  during 
the  assault. 

Such  is  a  brief  description  of  the  salient  points  of 
Kioto.  To  go  fully  into  the  subject  would  require 
a  book — which  I  do  not  intend  writing. 

I  am  situated,  as  regards  my  house  and  social 
surroundings,  far  more  pleasantly  than  when  I  was 
in  Hirosaki. 

My  house  is  an  old  temple  near  the  entrance  to 
the  Chioin  monastery.  It  was  built  about  three 
hundred  years  ago,  and  was  originally  designed  as 
a  residence  for  the  ladies  of  the  Shogun's  house- 


252  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

hold  in  case  they  should  chance  to  visit  Kioto. 
But  as  the  ladies  never  came,  the  priests  utilized 
the  house  as  a  temple.  It  is  very  substantially 
built.  A  broad  veranda  surrounds  it,  and  it  has  a 
heavy  tile  roof  supported  by  massive  timbers. 
There  is  but  a  single  story,  and  as  you  may  easily 
imagine,  the  ceiling  is  immensely  high.  A  fine 
suite  of  six  rooms  constitute  my  apartments.  The 
shojees  are  covered  with  gilt  paper  and  are  set  in 
lacquered  frames.  They  are  beautifully  orna- 
mented. In  a  wing  attached  to  my  house  are 
three  rooms  for  the  boy,  and  also  the  kitchen. 
This  kitchen  I  will  describe  more  fully  in  the  latter 
part  of  this  letter.  Surrounding  these  premises  on 
all  sides  is  a  lovely  and  extensive  garden,  and  we 
are  inclosed  by  a  wall  through  which  ingress  may 
be  obtained  by  a  stately  gateway.  I  could  not  de- 
sire a  more  private  residence. 

My  neighbors  are  all  Buddhist  priests.  The  one 
on  my  right-hand  is  busily  engaged  every  day  in 
drilling  a  class  of  boys  in  the  Buddhist  chants.  He 
keeps  at  it  so  regularly  that  I  frequently  find  my- 
self unconsciously  humming  the  monotonous  scores 
of  the  dreamy  rhythms.  The  priest  on  my  left- 
hand  is  a  very  religious  man,  judging  from  the 
amount  of  praying  that  he  indulges  in.  He  spends 
two  or  three  hours  daily  at  his  matins  and  vespers. 
He  begins  with  a  slow,  droning  chant,  tapping  on 
a  little  bell  betimes.  His  chant  rapidly  increases 
in  intensity,  until  you  hear  but  a  prolonged  whir- 
ring sound  accompanied  by  the  silvery  notes  of  the 


KIOTO.  253 

humming  bell.  Then  the  sounds  slowly  subside 
until  the  prayer  ends  as  it  began  in  measured  ca- 
dence and  subdued  tones.  Then  you  know  that 
the  beads  on  the  rosary  have  been  counted.  He 
goes  over  his  rosary  again  and  again,  until  I  am 
fairly  drowsy  listening  to  him. 

As  you  already  know,  it  is  forbidden  to  the 
Buddhists  to  destroy  life  in  any  shape.  As  a  nat- 
ural consequence  of  the  following  of  this  doctrine, 
the  precincts  of  their  monasteries  abound  in  all 
kinds  of  life  peculiar  to  the  various  localities.  Cen- 
tipedes fully  six  inches  long  are  frequently  seen 
around  here  in  the  gardens.  They  sometimes  get 
into  the  houses,  and  make  themselves  as  disagree- 
able as  possible.  Should  you  hang  your  coat  upon 
the  walls,  you  will  probably  find  one  of  these  hor- 
rid creatures  in  the  sleeve  when  you  attempt  to 
put  it  on  again.  Their  bites  or  stings  are  painful 
but  not  mortal.  Snakes  and  lizards  also  are  about 
as  plentiful  as  it  is  possible  for  them  to  be  after 
centuries  of  pampering  within  these  sacred  inclos- 
ures. 

And  if  it  were  not  for  the  friendly  services  of  the 
"weasels,  the  audacious  impudence  and  the  obtru- 
sive familiarity  of  the  rats  and  mice  would  speedily 
render  the  existence  of  man  quite  problematical. 
But  it  is  not  quite  so  easy  to  exterminate  the 
snakes.  They,  however,  avoid  the  presence  of 
man,  and  keep  clear  of  his  abode.  During  the 
heavy  rains  last  week,  when  I  was  in  the  bath- 
room, a  small  one  fell  from  the  rafters  across  my 


254  L^  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

shoulder  and  slipped  down  upon  my  bare  feet.  I 
jumped  aside  with  a  mighty  spring,  and  the  reptile 
squirmed  through  a  crack  in  the  floor  out  into  the 
garden.  I  can  not  go  out  into  my  garden  without 
seeing  half  a  dozen  lizards  basking  themselves  in 
the  sunshine,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  in  the  dense 
shrubbery  and  in  the  extensive  bamboo  copses 
scattered  all  around  here,  snakes  could  be  found  by 
the  score.  It  is  very  fortunate  that  the  snakes  in 
Japan  are  of  a  harmless  nature.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Buddhist  monasteries  in  the  tropics  you  will  find 
serpents  of  great  size, — provided  such  monasteries 
are  not  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  teeming  popu- 
lations. 

But  the  most  surprising  creatures  that  seek 
refuge  within  these  sacred  inclosurcs  are  the  foxes. 
A  family  of  them  live  under  my  house.  They  are 
plentiful  all  around  here.  At  night-time  they  come 
out  and  scour  the  suburbs  and  hills  for  poultry'  and 
birds.  They  probably  visit  all  the  Inari  shrines 
for  miles  around,  feasting  upon  the  fried  wheat 
cakes  that  have  been  prepared  for  their  special 
benefit  by  the  fox-worshipers.  During  their  ram- 
bles around  my  garden,  they  frequently  come  across 
my  neighbors*  dogs.  After  indulging  in  animated 
snarling  and  purring  for  about  five  minutes,  they 
will  part  company.  As  the  native  dogs  are  too 
cowardly  to  come  to  close  quarters,  the  foxes  find 
their  strange  abodes  about  as  safe  as  they  can 
desire. 

My  household   arrangements   are   upon  a  very 


KIOTO,  255 

simple  scale.  As  my  contract  is  only  for  one 
year,  it  will  not  pay  me  to  buy  very  much  furni- 
ture, and  if  this  Satsuma  rebellion  continues 
much  longer  to  drain  the  government  funds,  I  may 
not  stay  out  my  year.  Any  furniture  that  I  might 
buy  now  would  be  a  dead  loss  when  I  came  to 
leave,  for  the  natives  do  not  use  European  furni- 
ture, and  the  few  missionary  families  here  are  al- 
ready well  supplied. 

My  bedroom  is  adorned  with  severe  simplicity. 
I  sleep  on  the  floor  after  the  native  fashion.  Dur- 
ing the  day-time  my  bedding  is  stowed  away  in  the 
closet.  In  one  corner  of  the  room  stands  my  zinc 
trunk,  which  answers  the  double  purpose  of  ward- 
robe and  money-chest.  A  wash-stand  and  two 
chairs  complete  the  furnishing  of  the  room.  All 
the  floors  throughout  the  house  are  covered  with 
fine  tatamis.  My  study  has  a  table  and  two  chairs, 
and  my  parlor  has  a  table  and  four  chairs ;  the 
walls,  corners,  and  sides  of  the  room  being  orna- 
mented with  curios  and  bric-h-brac.  The  dining- 
room  has  a  table  and  three  chairs,  while  the  spare 
room  is  quite  bare. 

My  kitchen  is  about  as  interesting  as  any  part  of 
the  house.  It  is  without  any  furniture  whatsoever — 
not  even  a  cooking  range.  For  cooking  purposes 
my  boy  uses  a  couple  of  small  earthen  ovens,  no 
larger  than  a  pair  of  flower-pots.  It  is  astonishing 
how  he  manages  to  cook  at  all.  Yet  he  certainly 
does  marvelously  well  with  omelets,  soups,  broiled 
chickens,  and  fried  potatoes.     His  fuel  is  charcoal. 


256  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

This  produces  a  powerful  heat,  and  is  compara- 
tively free  from  smoke.  The  only  important  uten- 
sil that  he  uses  is  a  gridiron.  All  the  other  articles 
are  of  native  production,  and  consist  of  an  iron 
pot,  a  frying-pan,  and  a  couple  of  insignificant  clay 
bowls,  in  which  he  boils  potatoes  and  puddings. 
With  such  primitive  utensils  he  displays  great  in- 
genuity in  preparing  food.  The  other  day  I  in- 
vited the  two  directors  to  dinner.  The  first  course 
was  tomato  soup.  Then  came  boiled  fish,  with  ^^ig 
sauce.  Then  came  broiled  venison  and  baked  pota- 
toes. After  this  came  a  quasi  plum  pudding,  com- 
posed of  currants  instead  of  plums,  and  of  suet 
and  flour.  The  wine  sauce  accompanying  it  could 
not  have  been  surpassed,  although  the  "  wine  "  was 
some  brandy  that  he  had  clandestinely  abstracted 
from  my  medicine  chest.  The  dessert  of  this  ex- 
traordinary dinner  consisted  of  peaches,  plums,  and 
grapes. 

But  every  rose  has  its  thorn.  My  boy  will  get 
drunk.  About  once  a  fortnight  he  goes  on  a 
spree  and  comes  staggering  into  the  kitchen  an 
hour  or  so  behind  time.  His  apologies  and  prom- 
ises of  reform  are  as  profuse  as  can  be  desired ;  but 
his  periodical  sprees  come  in  regular  order  never- 
theless. I  shall  be  compelled  to  part  with  him  be- 
fore long.  But  as  I  am  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  a  Treaty  Port,  where  competent  cooks  are  plen- 
tiful, I  shall  not  have  much  trouble  in  replacing 
him.  It  is  truly  amazing  how  these  Japs  pick  up 
our  style  of  cooking.     They  all  soon  learn  to  cook 


KIOTO,  257 

fairly  well ;  and   some  of  them  become  exquisite 
adepts  in  cuisine. 

So  much  for  my  household  affairs.  My  school 
duties  are  similar  to  those  in  Tokio.  I  usually 
walk  the  three  miles  between  my  house  and  the 
school.  The  hours  are  from  nine  in  the  morning 
to  three  in  the  afternoon,  Saturdays  and  Sundays 
being  holidays.  The  scholars  are  mostly  young 
men  of  the  samurai  class. 

As  to  my  social  surroundings  I  cannot  say  much, 
as  they  are  very  limited.  There  are  only  four 
foreign  families  here,  three  of  whom  are  those  of 
American  missionaries.  These  people  are  hospita- 
ble and  friendly,  and  I  spend  many  a  profitable 
evening  in  their  company. 

I  must  now  close  this  rambling  letter.     Kioto  is 
a  difficult  subject   to  write  upon  if  one  wishes  to 
avoid  giving  hackneyed  information  about  the  place. 
Yours  truly, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 
17 


LETTER  XV. 
AN  EXCURSION  TO  NARA. 

Kioto,  September  17,  1877. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

I  TOOK  a  trip  to  Nara  the  other  day.  This  city- 
is  about  thirty  miles  from  Kioto.  Having  no  pass- 
port, I  was  under  the  necessity  of  going  and  re- 
turning on  the  same  day.  We  started  off  early  in 
the  morning  in  our  jinrikshaSy  and  arrived  there 
about  midday.  This  gave  us  fully  half  a  day  to 
inspect  the  place ;  and  we  had  the  cool  night  in 
which  to  return  to  Kioto.  The  trip  was  a  thor- 
oughly enjoyable  one,  although  rather  wearisome. 
The  road  lay  through  a  somewhat  level  country — 
fairly  picturesque,  but  rather  uninteresting;  and 
we  were  glad  enough  to  reach  Nara  in  time  for 
lunch  I  can  assure  you. 

Nara  was  the  ancient  capital  of  the  emperors.  It 
is  situated  among  picturesque  hills  near  some 
mountains.  In  its  days  of  prosperity  it  was  a 
large  and  handsome  city,  but  its  present  popula- 
tion is  not  over  twenty  thousand ;  and  nothing  re- 
mains of  its  ancient  glory  except  the  vast  temple 
and  colossal   image  of    Buddha,*  or  DauButz^  as 

*Thc  illustration  on  the  opposite  page  is  a  reproduction 
from  a    Japanese  painting  that  had  hung  on  the  walls  of   some 


3" 


THK    DEATH   OK    BUDDHA. 

{See  Footnote  on  next  fiage.) 


AN  EXCURSION   TO  NARA.  259 

the  natives  designate  it.  Otherwise  the  place  bears 
no  comparison  with  lovely  Kioto. 

Passing  down  the  long,  straggling  street  that 
/orms  the  backbone  of  the  town,  you  will  see,  on 
your  left,  an  immense  grove  of  stately  pines  and 
cedars   stretching   over   hills   and  vales  far  away 

monastery  or  temple  for  about  fifty  years  prior  to  its  sale  to  the 
author  at  Nagoya  in  1877.  It  was  sold  because  the  disestablish- 
ment of  Buddhism  as  the  State  religion  of  the  Japanese  Empire 
had  protluced  great  poverty  in  that  sect.  The  illustration  repre- 
sents the  supposed  scene  at  the  death-bed  of  Buddha.  So  great 
a  benefactor  had  he  been  that  all  creation  is  represented  as  mourn- 
ing at  his  death — personages  of  royal  birth,  celebrities  of  various 
nationalities,  animals  of  varied  species,  fowls  of  the  air,  and  even 
the  fiends  from  hell  are  represented  as  l)ewailing  the  misfortune 
which  the  great  mercifulness  of  Buddha's  nature  had  rendered 
universal.  At  the  top  of  the  picture,  descending  upon  clouds  and 
mists,  is  represented  the  mother  of  Buddha,  accompanied  by 
female  friends  and  preceded  by  a  guide,  coming  from  Paradise  to 
witness  the  closing  scene  in  the  life  of  her  illustrious  son.  Her 
lamentations  are  violent,  because  of  the  fact  that  the  mystic  medi- 
cine that  she  had  sent  to  her  son  had  been  carried  away  from  his 
bedside  by  some  thieving  cat,  which  had  scampered  up  into  a  tall 
tree  with  it,  thus  rendering  the  recovery  of  the  renowned  philan- 
thropist impossible.  To  the  left-hand  side  of  the  picture,  high  up 
among  the  boughs,  may  be  seen  the  unlucky  bag  of  medicine. 
The  contents  thereof  have  melted,  and  are  represented  as  run- 
ning down  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  The  artist,  as  a  solemn  warning 
to  all  future  generations  of  feline  depredators,  and  also,  we  may  pre- 
sume, as  condign  punishment  for  the  immediate  freebooter  that 
had  absconded  with  madame's  physic,  has  failed  to  represent  a  cat 
in  any  part  of  his  painting.  The  entire  scene  is  located  by  the 
artist  upon  the  sea-shore,  where  the  waves  may  be  seen  through  the 
trees.  In  this  representation  he  carries  out  the  legend  which 
chronicles  Buddha  as  having  died  upon  some  part  of  the  coast  of 
Ceylon. 


26o  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

into  the  mountains.  Looming  above  the  trees 
you  will  see  the  massive  roof  of  the  temple  con- 
taining the  monster  image.  The  tiles  are  im- 
mensely heavy,  and  are  bound  together  with  strong 
iron  bands.  The  thickness  of  the  roof  is  fully  ten 
feet.  Surrounding  this  central  figure  like  attendant 
guards,  are  several  smaller  temples,  scarcely  show- 
ing their  gables  above  the  trees.  Coming  now  to 
a  long,  stately  avenue,  we  go  up  for  nearly  half  a 
mile  through  two  huge  gateways  to  the  temple. 
The  gateway,  through  which  we  first  pass,  merits  a 
special  description.  It  is  a  large,  double-storied 
tower,  about  fifty  feet  high.  The  upper  story  is 
filled  with  dilapidated  idols.  Through  the  lower 
passes  the  gateway.  On  each  side  of  the  portal 
are  two  gigantic  images  about  twenty  feet  high. 
Their  faces  are  distorted  in  the  most  hideous 
fashion,  and  the  weapons  in  their  hands  are  poised 
in  a  threatening  manner.  The  ancient  coating  of 
red  paint  has  dropped  from  their  bodies,  and  the 
heat  of  many  centuries  has  warped  the  hard  wood, 
so  that  the  muscular  arms  and  legs  have  split 
open  to  the  center.  These  images  are  the  gods 
of  wrestlers  and  mighty  men  of  valor.  People 
desiring  to  excel  in  physical  strength  come  here 
to  worship.  Their  method  of  devotion  is  rather 
singular.  The  prayers  are  carefully  written  on 
small  pieces  of  paper,  which,  after  having  been 
chewed  up  into  spit-balls,  are  then  deliberately 
flung  at  the  grim  deities — it  being  considered  quite 
essential  that  the  missiles  should  stick  fast.     The 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  NARA.  26 1 

monsters  are  covered  with  these  concise  supplica- 
tions. 

Passing  through  this  gateway,  we  enter  upon  a 
continuation  of  the  avenue.  The  stately  pines 
screen  us  admirably  from  the  sun,  and  the  green- 
sward on  all  sides  refreshes  the  eyes  nearly  blinded 
with  the  glare  of  the  dusty  road  from  Kioto. 
Under  the  trees  are  tea-booths  furnishing  refresh- 
ments to  travelers  and  devotees.  Appropriating 
some  seats  in  the  shade,  we  plunged  into  the 
depths  of  a  water-melon,  and  ate  vermicelli  and 
pickled  plums  for  the  space  of  half  an  hour. 

Continuing  our  stroll  down  the  avenue,  we  came 
to  a  second  gateway,  through  which  we  passed  into 
a  vast  court-yard.  On  fite  days,  several  thousand 
people  are  accommodated  within  this  spacious  in- 
closure.  On  the  other  side  of  it  stands  the  temple. 
This  building  was  originally  of  a  bright  vermilion 
color,  but  the  rains  of  centuries  have  washed  it 
bare.  Across  the  face  of  the  temple  runs  a  high 
vestibule  whose  roof  is  supported  by  large  wooden 
columns.  The  entire  structure  is  of  wood.  The 
roof  is  supported  by  sixty  huge  wooden  pillars. 

From  one  of  the  pamphlets  distributed  by  the 
priest  within  the  vestibule  the  following  informa- 
tion is  derived  : 

"  The  original  temple  of  Dai-Butz  was  built  in 
the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Shiomu,  the  forty-sixth 
Emperor  of  Japan,  who  lived  about  1524  years  ago. 
It  took  eleven  years  to  cast  the,  idol  and  to  build 
the  temple.     Four  hundred  and  twenty-nine  years 


262  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

after  the  completion  of  the  temple,  during  one  of 
the  civil  feuds,  Taira-Shigehira,  a  famous  chieftain, 
destroyed  it.  Five  years  thereafter  it  was  rebuilt, 
and  the  image  was  recast.  Four  hundred  and 
eighty-four  years  then  slipped  away,  and  a  fierce 
battle  took  place  between  Matsunaga-Hisahide  and 
Miyoshi-Yasunaga,  two  feudal  chiefs,  during  which 
the  image  and  the  temple  were  again  destroyed. 
And  about  seven  hundred  years  ago  the  present 
edifice  was  built ;  and  the  present  head  and  shoul- 
ders, which  had  been  melted  during  the  previous 
conflagration,  were  recast." 

Closing  the  pamphlet  and  crossing  the  threshold 
of  the  temple,  we  sec  Dai-Butz  looming  up  before 
us  to  the  height  of  seventy  feet.  In  the  middle  of 
the  temple  is  an  immense  stone  platform  nearly 
two  hundred  feet  in  circumference,  and  ten  feet 
high.  Upon  this  platform  is  constructed  a  smaller 
one  of  solid  bronze,  six  feet  high.  Its  surface  is 
composed  of  bronze  petals  of  the  lotus  flower. 
Seated  cross-legged  upon  this  flowery  throne  is 
Buddha  in  Nirvana, — a  stupendous,  olive-colored 
image.  This  is  the  largest  bronze  image  in  the 
world.  The  actual  height  of  the  idol,  measuring 
from  the  bronze  platform,  is  fifty-three  feet  and  five 
inches.  It  is  proportioned  for  a  standing  image 
one  hundred  feet  high. 

Turning  to  our  pamphlet,  we  find  that  this 
image  is  seven  hundred  years  old.  Seven  succes- 
sive castings  were  made  before  a  satisfactory  piece 
of  work  could  be  produced. 


AN  EXCURSION  TO  NARA. 


263 


Three  thousand  tons  of  charcoal  were  consumed 
during  the  operation.  The  total  weight  of  the 
metal  used  is  four  hundred  and  fifty  tons.  The 
alloys  are  proportioned  as  follows : 

Gold  =  500  pounds  avoirdupois. 

Tin  =  16,827       "                 " 

Mercury  =  1,984       "                 " 

Copper  =  986,080       "                 " 

Total  =  1,005,391        "  " 

Taking  for  granted  that  the  figures  transmitted 
to  us  by  antiquity  are  accurate,  it  will  appear  that 
this  idol  contains  nearly  300,000  pounds  more  of 
metal  than  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes  contained. 
And  its  proportions  must  be  almost  the  same. 
The  following  figures  will  convey  to  your  mind 
some  idea  of  the  immense  size  of  this  image : 


Height  from  throne. . . 

••       *•      floor 

Length  of  face 

Width    "     ••    

Length  of  eyebrow  . . . 

"      *•  eye 

Breadth  of  nose 

Height   ♦*     "     

Length  of  mouth 

••       ••  ear 

Width  across  shoulders 

"        **      breast... 

**  '*  abdomen 
Length  of  upper  arm  . 

**      "  forearm.... 


53 

5 

70 

16 

9 

5 

5 

4i 

3 

9 

2 

9* 

I 

6 

3 

7 

8 

5 

38 

7 

18 

18 

19 

15 

264 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 


length  of  palm 

"  middle  finger 

Length  from  knee  to  foot 

Diameter  of  knee  

Circumference  of  middle  finger 

Height  of  each  lotus  petal 

Width    '•     • 

Height  of  each  curl  on  head 

Diameter  of  each  curl  on  head.     {There  are  k^ 

curls  on  the  head  ) 

Diameter  of  back  of  throne 

Length  of  each  ray  protruding  from  back  of  throne. 

Height  of  temple   

Length"       "      

Width    ••       "      


5 
5 

23 
7 
5 
6 

30 
I 


75 

83 

170 

290 

170 


6 

'si' 


The  image  is  hollow,  the  average  thickness  of 
the  bronze  being  about  one  foot.  The  lower  parts 
and  the  bronze  pedestal,  however,  must  be  almost 
solid.  It  has  been  cast  in  separate  pieces,  and 
these  have  been  joined  together  with  a  kind  of 
metallic  cement,  leaving  a  barely  perceptible  mark. 
The  surfaces  of  the  lotus  petals  composing  the 
pedestal  are  covered  with  minute  engravings  repre- 
senting temples,  dragons,  combats  between  fiends, 
shrines  perched  on  little  knolls,  various  kinds  of 
flowers,  and  a  few  other  heathenish  conceptions. 

The  left  hand  of  the  image  extends  along  the 
knee,  with  the  third  and  fourth  fingers  slightly 
raised.  The  open  palm  projects  over  the  knee  as 
if  offering  something  to  a  needy  individual,  or 
showing  the  plausibility  of  some  pet  idea.  A 
grand  piano   could  easily  be  set   upon  the  hand 


AN  EXCURSION   TO  NARA.  265 

thus  opened ;  you  could  comfortably  lie  down  in 
the  palm,  and  you  sit  upon  the  thumb  as  you 
would  upon  a  log  of  wood.  The  position  of  the 
right  hand  is  somewhat  different.  The  wrist  is 
slightly  elevated  above  the  right  knee,  the  open 
hand  being  raised  at  right  angles  to  the  forearm  as 
if  trying  to  push  something  back, — a  repelling  ges- 
ture. The  eyes  are  half  shut.  The  face  is  fat  and 
flabby.  The  general  expression  is  sleepy  and  good 
natured.  The  image  is  represented  as  dressed  in  a 
simple  priest's  robe.  The  folds  and  creases  have 
been  cast  with  wonderful  accuracy. 

Behind  the  image  is  the  gilt  back  of  its  throne, 
upon  which  are  sixteen  brackets  holding  sixteen 
bronze  images,  nine  feet  high  each.  In  front  are 
two  colossal  bronze  vases,  containing  bronze  lotus 
plants,  twenty  feet  high.  Perched  on  the  rim  of 
each  vase  is  a  large  bronze  butterfly,  with  a  span 
across  the  wings  of  five  feet ;  and  upon  each  side 
of  the  image  is  an  immense  wooden  statue  forty 
feet  high. 

Everything,  in  fact,  has  been  planned  upon  an 
immense  scale.  The  only  thing  approximating  to 
a  musical  instrument  is  a  huge  drum  with  its  head 
battered  to  shreds.  The  floor  is  of  hardened  earth. 
The  gigantic  pillars  are  formed  of  massive,  wedge- 
shaped  slices  of  wood,  bound  together  with  iron 
bands.  The  ceilings  and  walls  are  quite  bereft  of 
paint;  the  spiders  spin  their  webs  in  unbecoming 
proximity  to  His  Majesty's  head. 

At  first  sight,  the  proportions  of  this  image  are 


266  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

very  deceptive.  Looking  up  at  the  middle  finger, 
you  would  not  be  apt  to  guess  its  length  at  more 
than  two  feet,  yet,  upon  measurement,  it  will  prove 
to  be  five  feet  long ;  but,  after  taking  a  few  meas- 
urements, the  tremendous  proportions  gradually 
dawn  upon  you. 

This,  then,  is  the  materialized  conception  of 
Buddha  in  Nirvana.  The  dreamy  reveries  of  the 
persecuted  Brahmin  have  thus  found  ponderous 
shape  in  this  remote  corner  of  the  world.  Under 
the  blistering  and  enervating  heat  of  India,  what 
strange  visions  were  evolved  from  the  brain  of 
that  mysterious  individual  whose  dreams  of  Nir- 
vana have  shaped  the  religious  natures  of  millions 
of  human  beings  for  over  two  thousand  years ! 

Leaving  the  drowsy  atmosphere  of  the  temple, 
we  sauntered  over  the  grounds  of  the  monastery. 
A  covered  way  leads  to  a  grove  on  the  hillside. 
Climbing  a  long  flight  of  broad  stone  steps,  we 
came  to  an  old  belfry  containing  a  large  bell.  The 
bell,  according  to  my  pamphlet,  was  cast  628  A.D., 
having  been  made  at  the  special  request  of  Shittio- 
Tenno.  Its  dimensions  and  composition  are  given 
as  follows: 

Height,  13^  feet. 
Diameter  at  mouth,  gyi  feet. 
Thickness  of  metal,  \o}i  inches. 
Amount  of  copper,  26  tons  and  600  lbs. 

"         "  tin,  I  ton  and  500  lbs. 
Total  weight,  55,100  lbs. 


AN  EXCURSION   TO  NARA.  267 

In  the  vicinity  of  this  belfry  are  several  booths 
for  the  sale  of  trinkets,  charms,  and  mementoes. 
Old  pieces  of  bone,  horn,  and  ivory,  have  been 
carved  into  tooth-picks,  combs,  hair-pins,  etc,  for  the 
devotees  and  visitors  to  purchase.  You  will  also 
see  some  old  swords  and  spears,  said  to  have  been 
used  by  the  retainers  of  Hid^yoshi  in  the  invasion 
of  Corea  three  hundred  years  ago.  Returning 
from  their  victories  and  conquests,  they  hung  up 
their  weapons  here  to  show  their  gratitude  for  the 
successful  issue  of  the  enterprise — much  in  the 
same  way,  I  imagine,  as  the  shipwrecked  Roman 
sailors  hung  up  in  the  temples  their  dripping  gar- 
ments to  testify  their  appreciation  of  Neptune's 
merciful  assistance.  And,  as  the  dampened  tunics 
have  long  since  been  taken  down  from  the  moldy 
walls,  so  these  ancient  blades  are  rapidly  disappear- 
ing before  the  impetuous  advance  of  our  mercenary 
curio  hunters. 

The  masses  of  the  Japanese  are  very  religious, 
or  superstitious,  as  some  choose  to  term  it.  Bud- 
dhism gained  a  hold  on  the  popular  heart  that 
Shintoism  and  Confucianism  failed  to  gain.  Not 
satisfied  with  erecting  this  immense  image,  they 
constructed  another  one,  almost  as  large,  at  Kama- 
kura,  near  Yokohama.  It  is  in  a  lovely  glade  on 
the  Pacific  coast.  It  was  cast  about  six  hundred 
years  ago  by  order  of  the  Shoguns,  whose  capital  at 
that  time  was  Kamakura.  1  he  height  of  this  image 
is  forty-four  feet.  The  physical  proportions,  how- 
ever, are  much  smaller  than  those  of  the  one  here 


268  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

in  Nara.  Its  head  is  bent  forward  a  trifle  more, 
and  its  hands  are  folded.  In  other  respects  it  is  an 
exact  copy.  The  temple  that  formerly  sheltered  it 
was  carried  away  by  an  earthquake  wave.  Five 
successive  tidal  billows  came  rolling  in  from  the 
Pacific.  As  the  last  surge,  black  with  people  and 
the  debris  of  the  city,  rushed  down  the  valley,  it 
carried  the  temple  out  to  sea.  So  he  sits  there  in 
the  open  air,  his  head  looming  above  the  pine- 
trees,  and  his  face  turned  toward  the  peaceful 
waters  of  the  ocean  —  typical  of  the  dreamless 
Nirvana.  The  bronze  is  assuming  a  dull  green 
color,  being  affected  by  the  corrosive  influence 
of  the  moist  winds  that  come  from  the  Pacific. 
There  is  a  staircase  inside  of  the  image.  A  large 
window  in  the  back  floods  the  cavernous  vitals 
with  light,  showing  the  names  of  scores  of 
ambitious  foreigners  scrawled  in  all  conceivable 
places. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  began  to  think  of 
returning  to  Kioto.  We  had  rambled  over  the 
grounds  and  had  inspected  every  nook.  The 
monastery  showed  decided  marks  of  neglect. 
The  leaves  covered  the  avenues  and  the  green- 
swards, and  the  lichens  and  the  moss  seemed 
to  take  melancholy  satisfaction  in  creeping  into 
all  the  crevices  of  the  old  shrines. 

What  somber  reflections  such  scenes  excite! 
Here  in  the  belfry  hangs  the  bell  that  sent  its  sol- 
emn tones  through  the  glades  and  groves,  calling 
the  monks  to  chant  their  matins  and  vespers,  while 


AN  EXCURSION   TO  NARA.  269 

Europe  was  yet  in  mediaeval  gloom.  The  Algon- 
quins  battled  with  the  Iroquois  beside  the  waters  of 
the  Hudson  while  these  mellow  tones  trembled 
through  the  upland  woods,  summoning  the  votaries 
to  chant  their  monotonous  rhythms  before  the  grim 
monster  presiding  within  the  sanctuary  below.  One 
can  almost  fancy  he  sees  the  phantom-like  proces- 
sion of  yellow-robed  priests  sweeping  through  yon- 
der gateway,  across  the  courtyard,  up  the  steps,  and 
into  the  evening  shades  of  the  gloomy  building. 
They  prostrate  themselves  before  the  sable  god, 
dimly  perceptible  through  the  dusky  shadows  and 
the  smoke  of  the  burning  incense.  The  huge  drum 
shakes  the  place  with  its  bellowings,  while  the  bell 
rends  the  air  with  its  throbbing  notes — drowning 
the  murmurs  of  the  assembled  throng.  The  priests 
now  increase  the  volume  of  their  chants,  their 
notes  are  pitched  on  a  higher  key,  and  their  rapid 
hummings  fill  the  immense  room  with  a  tempest  of 
prayer.  The  immense  brazen  gongs  strike  up,  the 
drum  shakes  the  place  with  its  stupendous  din,  the 
bell  sends  one  continued  wave  of  clangor  rolling 
up  among  the  dusky  pines  and  down  over  the  town 
nestled  among  the  foot-hills — and  the  people  then 
know  that  the  dread  god  is  being  propitiated. 

As  the  chants  increase  in  rapidity,  the  long  pro- 
cession marches  and  counter-marches,  prostrates  it- 
self, kneels  and  rises  with  bewildering  celerity.  In 
the  faint  twilight  a  weak  imagination  could  almost 
fancy  the  placid  features  of  the  image  to  relax  into  a 
smile  in  contemplation,  forsooth,  of  such  pageantry. 


2  70  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

The  din  now  gradually  dies  away,  the  drum  and  the 
bell  are  silent,  the  torrent  of  supplication  subsides, 
the  tapers  are  extinguished,  the  smoking  incense 
on  the  altar  expends  its  fumes,  and  the  procession 
files  out  in  solemn  order  through  the  shadows  of 
the  portals.  Unbroken  silence  again  settles  upon 
the  place,  and  the  people  slumber  peacefully,  know- 
ing that  his  majesty  has  been  pacified  for  the  night ; 
while  the  belated  peasant,  hurrying  through  the 
somber  avenues,  as  he  sees  the  shadows  of  the 
gloomy  pines  cast  upon  the  crimson  walls  of  the 
sanctuary,  hastens  his  steps  lest  his  untimely  in- 
trusion arouse  the  latent  ire  of  unseen  powers. 

When  the  morning  mists  float  slowly  away  from 
the  rice-fields,  the  long  line  again  marches  across 
the  court-yard  and  through  the  portals;  the  same 
pageantry,  din,  and  turmoil  again  rouse  the  echoes 
of  the  place,  and  the  drowsy  town  folk  then  know 
that  the  morning  prayers  are  being  offered  up,  and 
they  feel  safe,  for  how  can  so  fine  an  idol  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  such  pompous  supplications  ? 

And  so,  for  more  than  twelve  hundred  years,  this 
perpetual  round  of  devotion  has  continued.  While 
empires  have  fallen,  while  arts,  sciences,  and  civiliza- 
tion were  passing  through  troubled  periods  toward 
a  noble  maturity,  the  rhythm  of  these  chants — 
equally  unintelligible  to  the  people  and  to  the  ma- 
jority of  the  priests — has  been  supposed  to  propiti- 
ate the  dread  influences  of  mysterious  elements. 
Ambitionless,  spiritless,  debasing,  the  teachings  of 
Buddhism  have  given  slip  to  the  centuries,  doing 


AN  EXCURSION   TO  NARA,  271 

but  little  to  elevate  humanity ;  and  now  the  light 
dawning  from  the  east  has  startled  the  votaries  at 
their  shrines,  and  has  roused  them  from  their  leth- 
argy. And  the  decayed  leaves  tangled  amid  the 
unkempt  grass  by  the  gales  of  autumn — silent  wit- 
nesses of  the  neglect  settling  upon  the  place — sug- 
gest the  decadence  of  the  most  ingenious  religion 
ever  invented  by  the  human  mind ;  and  whether 
our  brain-proud  philosophers  are  willing  to  admit 
the  fact  or  not,  yet  the  conclusion  seems  clear,  that 
the  tenets  of  Buddhism  have  been  found  insufficient 
to  raise  mankind  to  that  high  plane  of  morality  and 
religious  development  to  which  the  divine  teachings 
revealed  through  the  Redeemer  have  been  able  to 
raise  the  nations  of  Europe  and  America. 

Riding  home  in  the  night,  chasing  the  village 
lights  for  hour  after  hour,  I  could  not  resist  the 
dreamy  influence  of  the  sweet  tones  of  the  monas- 
tery bells  that  trembled  across  the  rice-fields  at 
regular  intervals.  Such  melancholy  melody !  How 
solemn  and  subdued  were  their  suggestions !  Life, 
they  seemed  to  say,  is  undesirable ;  existence  is 
but  a  curse.  Let  us  crush  all  our  desires,  all  our 
passions,  and  all  our  impulses,  until  we  have  elimi- 
nated them.  Then  our  being  will  be  merged  in 
the  Infinite.  We  shall  cease  to  have  independent 
existence.  We  shall  be  Nirvana — annihilated! 
Yours  truly, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


LETTER  XVI. 

FUJIYAMA. 

Kioto,  September  27,  1877. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

In  looking  over  my  journal  the  other  day,  I 
came  across  the  account  of  my  trip  up  Fujiyama 
two  years  ago.  As  subjects  for  letters  are  now 
becoming  rather  scarce,  I  will  send  you  a  written- 
up  account  of  it.  Almost  everybody  writing  about 
Japan  has  something  to  say  about  Fujiyama. 
This  naturally  makes  the  subject  somewhat  stale, 
nevertheless  it  is  one  that  will  stand  much  elabo- 
ration. 

Fujiyama  is  the  center-piece  of  Japanese  scenery. 
It  is  the  first  point  of  land  that  the  approaching 
traveler  sights  as  he  comes  bounding  over  the 
waves  a  hundred  miles  away.  We  spied  its  dim 
outlines  at  daybreak  rising  specter-like  against  the 
rosy  tints  that  suffused  the  horizon.  All  day  it 
loomed  up  before  us ;  its  flattened  crest  and  snow- 
ribbed  cone  towering  superbly  above  the  massive 
mountain  ranges  around  its  base.  How  the  pas- 
sengers admired  its  magnificent  proportions  !  One 
of  them,  an  Englishman,  had  climbed  the  stu- 
pendous cone  and  had  slept  upon  the  summit. 
How    charmed  we   were   with    his   description   of 


FUJIYAMA.  273 

sunrise  as  seen  from  that  summit,  and  of  how 
the  water  froze  there  in  midsummer !  I  then 
resolved  to  climb  the  mountain  on  the  first  favor- 
able occasion.  We  gazed  on  its  expanding  outlines 
and  changing  phases  with  increasing  admiration. 
When  we  passed  between  the  headlands  and 
steamed  for  hours  up  the  bay,  we  found  much 
else  to  take  our  notice  ;  yet  we  frequently  turned 
our  eyes  Fuji-ward  to  admire  its  lovely  propor- 
tions. As  we  lay  at  anchor  at  Yokohama,  the 
clouds,  like  long  banners,  trailed  midway  from  its 
sides,  and  the  radiant  lines  of  sunset  formed  a 
background  of  striking  beauty.  The  lover  of 
nature  never  forgets  this  first  view  of  Fujiyama. 
Lovely  Fuji !  Well  art  thou  called  the  matchless 
one!  What  wonder  that  the  artists  of  the  thir- 
teen provinces  within  sight  of  thy  stately  majesty 
make  thee  their  inspiration  ? 

In  August,  of  1875,  I  made  my  arrangements 
for  climbing  Fujiyama.  My  traveling  companion, 
whom  we  will  designate  as  Jack,  was  also  a  teacher 
in  the  government  schools  in  Tokio.  Naturally  we 
made  congenial  companions.  Our  plan  was  to 
go  to  Kob6  by  steamer,  and  then  to  return  over- 
land to  Tokio  by  way  of  Kioto,  and  Fujiyama. 
We  were  going  to  climb  up  from  the  sea-shore 
and  descend  on  the  opposite  side  toward  the 
Hakon^  range. 

Taking  the  steamer  at  Yokohama,  we  reached 
Kob^  in  a  day  and  a  half.  Then  we  went  by  train  to 
Osaca,  where  we  tarried  a  couple  of  days  "  doing  " 
18 


2  74  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

the  place,  as  the  "  Globe  Trotters  **  express  it.  Then 
we  took  a  flat-bottomed  river-boat  and  were  poled 
and  towed  up  the  Kamogawa  to  Kioto,  where  we 
tarried  ten  days  '* doing"  the  city.  Leaving  Kioto, 
we  traveled  in  jinrikshas  along  the  Tokaido  for 
nearly  three  hundred  miles  until  we  reached  a 
village  on  the  sea-coast  near  the  base  of  Fuji- 
yama. Jack  had  already  gone  on  ahead  to  meet 
some  friends  at  Hakon^,  intending  to  return  and 
meet  me  at  the  base  of  the  mountain  by  the 
shore,  but  a  violent  typhoon  was  raging  along 
the  coast,  so  that  I  was  detained  here  a  couple 
of  days. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  the  storm  had 
passed  away  and  left  the  atmosphere  beautifully 
clear.  Being  hidden  behind  a  promontory,  we 
were  as  yet  unable  to  see  Fuji.  We  now  found 
ourselves  unable  to  continue  our  journey  by  the 
Tokaido,  as  the  torrents  pouring  from  the  moun- 
tains had  swollen  several  brooks  that  ran  across  our 
road  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were  quite  impass- 
able. We  therefore  took  a  fishing-boat  and  deter- 
mined to  round  the  promontory  and  reach  the  base 
of  the  mountain  by  sea.  Shipping  our  jinrikshas 
and  luggage,  we  (the  boy,  the  coolies,  and  myself) 
jumped  into  the  boat,  while  a  dozen  fishermen  put 
their  shoulders  to  the  prow,  and  we  were  launched 
with  a  shout  into  the  foaming  surf  that  came 
thundering  in  from  the  Pacific.  The  skillful 
scullers  soon  had  us  out  into  steadier  water  be- 
yond the  danger  of  capsizing. 


FUJIYAMA.  275 

When  we  had  rounded  the  promontory,  Fuji  in 
all  his  majesty  stood  before  us.  The  air  was  so 
clear  that  it  seemed  as  if  we  could  see  the  very 
bowlders  on  the  summit.  There  was  nothing  to 
distract  the  gaze,  as  the  mountain  stood  quite  alone, 
many  miles  from  any  range.  It  swept  up  directly 
from  the  shore.  Nature  was  in  her  loveliest  mood 
after  the  hurricane.  The  air  was  as  clear  as  crystal, 
and  the  fields  of  waving  grain  and  the  woods  and 
villages  upon  the  majestic  slopes  of  the  mountain 
stood  out  as  distinctly  as  possible.  The  morning 
sun  bathed  the  rugged  cone  with  purple  tints  of 
strange  beauty. 

With  one  glance  you  saw  the  general  features  of 
the  landscape ;  directly  before  us  lay  the  beach ; 
then  came  a  belt  of  rice-fields  ;  then  came  villages, 
orchards,  and  wheat-fields  stretching  several  miles 
up  the  gentle  slopes ;  then  came  a  girdle  of  woods 
winding  around  the  mountain  about  midway  up, 
forming  a  vast  band  nearly  ten  miles  wide ;  finally 
came  the  cone  of  lava  and  cinders,  forming  a  mas- 
sive cap  fully  four  miles  wide.  The  distance  from 
shore  to  summit  was  nearly  thirty  miles.  The 
altitude  of  the  mountain  is'nearly  thirteen  thousand 
feet ;  yet  so  clear  was  the  air  that  the  summit  did 
not  seem  to  be  further  off  than  two  or  three  miles. 

The  waves  of  the  ocean  were  of  a  glorious  blue. 
The  bold  promontories  toward  the  north  and  to- 
ward the  south  plowed  the  deep  half-way  to  the 
horizon,  making  an  immense  semicircular  bay  that 
bathed  the  base  of   the  mountain  with  perpetual 


276  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

foam  and  spray.  Lovely  Fuji !  What  wonder  that 
the  fisherman  along  the  distant  coast,  as  he  sees  thy 
ghostly  form  spread  against  the  evening  skies,  ad- 
mires and  adores  thee  ?  What  wonder  that  when 
thy  brow  is  black  with  clouds  that  sink  midway  to 
the  sea, — dread  harbingers  of  the  coming  storm — 
he  fears  thee  ? 

After  sculling  along  the  shore  for  some  distance, 
we  plunged  through  the  surf,  and  shot  high  up  on 
the  beach.  Crossing  this,  we  found  ourselves  in 
ricc-flelds  flooded  with  the  recent  rains.  The  cool- 
ies were  frequently  half-submerged.  When  we  had 
floundered  half-way  across  this  uninteresting  sec- 
tion of  country,  we  spied  Jack  coming  from  the  op- 
posite direction.  His  trowsers  were  slung  over  his 
shoulders,  and  he  was  wading  along  like  a  stork. 
Our  meeting  was  cordial  and  informal.  We  spent 
the  greater  part  of  the  morning  in  wading  through 
this  flooded  district.  We  finally  reached  a  village 
upon  the  slopes,  where  we  changed  our  clothes  and 
lunched. 

In  the  afternoon  we  journeyed  several  miles 
around  the  slopes  in  order  to  reach  the  path  that 
led  to  the  summit.  This  stretch  of  country  between 
the  mountain  and  the  ocean  was  indescribably 
beautiful.  Villages,  shrines,  orchards,  gardens,  and 
wheat-fields  were  spread  over  the  gently  undulating 
slopes  in  great  profusion,  and  were  wildly  pictur- 
esque and  charming.  The  circumference  of  the 
base  of  Fuji  on  this  line  around  the  slopes  is  sixty 
miles.     It  takes  three  days  to  make  the  journey, 


FUJIYAMA.  277 

which  is  one  of  the  loveliest  imaginable,  as  the 
scenery  is  perpetually  changing  with  each  spur  that 
you  round. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  the  path  that 
led  to  the  summit.  We  went  up  the  slopes  for  a 
short  distance  and  stopped  for  the  night  at  a  tem- 
ple that  frequently  was  utilized  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  travelers.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find 
a  more  enchanting  locality.  Beauty  was  on  every 
hand, — whether  you  watched  the  blue  waves 
speckled  with  sails,  or  the  villages  nestled  amid 
the  groves  and  gardens,  or  the  mists  chasing  the 
waving  billows  in  the  wheat-fields  on  the  slopes 
overhead.  And  then  the  sunset  bathing  the  land- 
scape, and  the  twilight  tingeing  the  ravines  and  the 
woods  with  sable  hues!  How  shall  I  describe  all 
this? 

At  seven  o'clock  next  morning  we  packed  our 
few  articles  of  luggage  on  the  back  of  a  mountain 
coolie,  and,  with  our  boy,  started  for  the  summit. 
We  walked  through  ten  miles  of  wheat-fields  up 
a  gradually  ascending  slope.  The  mists  lay  heavily 
along  the  mountain  side,  obscuring  the  view  com- 
pletely ;  but  soon  after  we  had  started  the  air 
cleared,  and  the  day  became  delightfully  bright 
and  pleasant.  So  clear  was  the  atmosphere  that  it 
seemed  as  if  we  could  have  seen  almost  any  object 
on  the  summit  twenty  miles  distant,  yet,  at  that 
very  moment  the  cone  was  thronged  with  white- 
robed  pilgrims  quite  invisible  to  us. 

By  eleven  oclock  we   had   reached   the  woods. 


2  78  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

We  followed  the  narrow  path  through  them  for 
six  miles  until  we  reached  the  barren  cone.  These 
woods  are  very  dense.  Were  you  to  get  lost  in 
them  you  would  have  much  difficulty  in  getting 
out  again.  A  gentleman  connected  with  a  survey- 
ing party  strayed  into  one  of  the  ravines  here 
and  nearly  perished  of  hunger  before  he  could 
be  found.  The  trees  are  pines,  beeches,  and  bam- 
boos, all  tangled  up  with  vines  and  impenetrable 
underbrush. 

The  ascent  through  the  woods  was  so  steep  that 
we  made  frequent  halts.  The  foliage  completely 
obstructed  our  view  during  this  portion  of  the 
journey.  At  the  last  resting-place  on  the  verge 
of  the  woods  we  stopped  for  dinner,  which  con- 
sisted of  boiled  rice,  sardines,  crackers  and  tea. 
Here  was  a  temple  in  honor  of  the  gods  that 
preside  over  the  mountain.  Precisely  what  the 
nature  of  these  divinities  may  be  is  a  matter  of 
doubt  to  myself.  Great  phenomena  in  nature 
seem  to  be  always  connected  in  the  human  im- 
agination with  mysterious  powers.  Starting  with 
this  as  a  basis,  the  Shinto  priests  feel  themselves 
justified  in  trading  on  the  situation  by  selling 
sacred  trinkets  to  the  pilgrims,  and  in  setting  up 
a  huge  contribution  box  in  a  conspicuous  place 
for  the  offerings  of  the  devotees.  Religion  and  the 
"  hat  **  seem  to  be  correlatives  even  here.  As  July 
and  August  are  the  only  months  during  the  year 
in  which  Fuji  can  be  safely  scaled,  the  season  for 
these  priests  is  very  short ;   but,   as  many  thou- 


FUJIYAMA.  279 

sands  improve  this  opportunity  to  climb  up,  their 
business  must  declare  steady  and  encouraging  divi- 
dends. 

Up  to  this  point  in  the  ascent,  people  may  be 
carried  in  kagos,  or  may  ride  on  horseback ;  but 
from  this  point  upward  everybody  must  walk. 
Arming  ourselves  with  long,  filleted  staffs,  pur- 
chased from  the  priests,  we  continued  our  journey 
and  reached  the  cone  at  about  two  o'clock.  The 
scene  was  immediately  changed — not  a  bit  of  ver- 
dure lay  before  us — nothing  but  lava,  rocks,  and 
cinders.  The  temperature  now  became  rapidly 
cold,  and  we  were  cautioned  not  to  lose  our 
breath  lest  we  should  have  difficulty  in  regaining 
it  in  such  rarefied  atmosphere. 

The  ascent  now  became  incredibly  steep.  We 
took  a  zig-zag  path  up  the  cone,  for  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  have  gone  straight  ahead 
without  the  assistance  of  ropes  and  ladders.  Even 
then  we  found  our  faces  almost  touching  the  rocks 
in  front  of  us  as  we  climbed.  We  rested  every 
five  minutes  or  so,  and  it  took  four  hours  for  us  to 
scale  this  last  stretch  to  the  summit.  How  in  the 
name  of  human  endurance  our  coolie  managed  to 
carry  sixty  pounds  of  dead  weight  up  this  moun- 
tain is  a  matter  of  marvel.  I  presume  it  is  merely 
a  question  of  practice,  but  may  Providence  spare 
me  from  such  practice ! 

From  the  edge  of  the  woods  to  the  summit,  at 
intervals  of  half  a  mile,  are  eight  resting-places. 
These   are    huts   constructed    of    lava   rocks,    and 


28o  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

roughly  floored  inside.  When  the  terrible  gales 
are  sweeping  the  cone,  it  would  be  impossible 
for  anything  like  a  house  to  stand  here.  We 
rested  at  each  hut,  and  made  and  drank  some 
tea.  We  were  informed  that  all  the  water  on  the 
cone  was  brought  from  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, as  there  were  no  springs  or  wells  in  this 
heap  of  cinders,  and  the  snow  in  the  ravines  was 
inaccessible.  This  impressed  us  as  rather  strange. 
The  ravines  did  not  seem  so  very  difficult  of  access 
after  all.  I  presume  this  was  merely  an  excuse 
for  selling  the  water  and  netting  a  handsome 
dividend. 

Hut  what  created  a  far  more  lively  impression 
upon  us  was  the  host  of  fleas  in  all  the  huts. 
They  swarmed !  Pilgrims  from  all  parts  of  the 
empire,  bringing  every  variety  of  species  of  these 
insolent  parasites  about  their  clothing,  had  pro- 
duced a  cross-breed  that  possessed  an  energy  and 
vivacity  in  their  method  of  assaulting  the  person 
that  were  incredibly  effective,  and  which  cast  quite 
in  the  shade  all  the  efforts  of  their  constituent 
ancestors. 

At  five  o'clock  we  reached  the  last  hut  just  be- 
neath the  summit.  Here  we  took  supper.  As  yet 
we  had  experienced  no  difficulty  with  our  breathing. 
Here  we  had  to  submit  to  a  bitter  attack  from  our 
unrelenting  enemies,  the  fleas.  While  we  ate  they 
did  likewise,  and  theirs  was  certainly  the  heartier 
meal.  Jack  raved  like  a  pirate.  He  scalded  him- 
self with  some  hot  tea,  which  he  very  naturally  up- 


FUJIYAMA.  281 

set  during  a  frantic  effort  to  reach  the  middle  of 
his  back  before  the  enemy  had  left  the  scene.  But 
we  were  comforted  by  the  assurance  that  there  were 
no  fleas  upon  the  summit,  and  that  we  would  con- 
sequently have  a  refreshing  night's  rest.  Up  to 
this  last  hut  these  vile  tormentors  do  not  find  the 
weather  too  severe  for  them  to  pursue  their  preda- 
tory habits,  but  upon  the  summit  they  are  com- 
pelled to  succumb  to  the  cold.  Upon  that  spot 
you  stand  in  the  only  place  in  the  empire  where 
fleas  do  not  exist.  But  fifteen  minutes'  climbing 
lifts  you  from  torments  to  serene  bliss. 
.  Leaving  the  eighth  resting  place  at  a  quarter  to 
six  o'clock,  we  proceeded  to  climb  the  last  stage  of 
the  ascent,  which  required  about  fifteen  minutes  of 
exceedingly  steep  and  arduous  work  ;  and  at  six 
o'clock  we  stood  upon  the  summit.  But  what  a 
summit  it  was!  Totally  different  from  our  expec- 
tations. Seen  from  a  distance,  the  top  of  Fujiyama 
seems  to  be  perfectly  flat.  We  had  expected  to 
find  a  sort  of  plateau  with  a  kind  of  depression  in 
the  center  caused  by  the  crater.  But  we  found 
the  summit  to  be  a  rugged  country.  It  was  three 
miles  in  circumference,  and  was  covered  with  lava 
hills,  one  of  which  was  two  hundred  feet  high  at 
least.  The  crater  was  encircled  by  these  hills,  and 
was  about  two  miles  in  circumference.  It  was  not 
over  two  hundred  feet  deep  and  was  entirely  in- 
active. 

We  found  quite  a  village  of  huts  built  of  lava 
rocks.     Hundreds  of  pilgrims  were  occupying  them. 


282  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

The  proprietors  of  these  quasi  hotels  bring  every- 
thing up  from  the  base  of  the  mountain,  and,  from 
a  native  stand-point,  keep  a  pretty  fair  larder.  As 
a  matter  of  course,  everything  is  expensive.  It 
costs  fifty  cents  to  pass  the  night  on  the  summit. 
This  is  very  fabulous  indeed  for  people  who  can  be 
accommodated  at  any  of  the  ordinary  hotels  within 
the  empire  for  only  twelve  cents  per  night  including 
supper  and  breakfast. 

We  found  a  corner  of  one  of  the  huts  unoccupied, 
and  at  once  appropriated  it  to  our  own  use.  While 
the  boy  was  preparing  supper,  we  rambled  over  the 
hills  and  bowlders,  viewing  the  matchless  scenery. 
We  found  it  necessary  to  wrap  ourselves  up  warmly, 
as  it  was  exceedingly  cold.  A  scum  of  ice  was 
already  forming  on  the  water  in  the  pails.  Al- 
though the  atmosphere  was  very  rare,  yet  we  did 
not  experience  any  difficulty  with  our  respiratory 
organs.  This  was  probably  due  to  the  fact  that 
our  lungs  were  very  sound. 

The  view  from  the  summit  of  Fujiyama  is  mag- 
nificent beyond  description.  On  one  hand  you 
have  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  on  the  other  hand  you 
have  thirteen  provinces  of  Nippon.  You  become 
dizzy  as  you  gaze  down  the  steep  sides  of  the  cone, 
over  its  sable  girdle  of  woods,  and  upon  the  slopes 
at  its  base.  It  is  terribly  precipitous.  You  feel  as 
if  you  could  jump  down  upon  the  empire.  Thou- 
sands of  feet  beneath  you  the  clouds  and  the  even- 
ing mists  are  beginning  to  gather  around  the 
mountain   side.     They    mass   themselves   in  huge 


FUJIYAMA.  283 

billows  against  the  woods  until  it  seems  as  if  the 
ocean  itself  had  risen  upon  the  mountain ;  now  the 
upward  currents  of  air  strike  the  clouds  from  below 
and  they  are  tossed  upward  in  huge  columns  like 
smoke  arising  from  some  vast  battle-field, — and 
your  view  is  again  unobstructed.  You  see  the 
grand  mountain  ranges  of  Hakon^,  colossal  in 
themselves,  lying  like  dwarfed  hills  beneath  you, 
and  stretching  away  until  merged  in  the  obscurity 
that  veils  the  horizon.  In  their  midst  lies  lovely 
Hakon6  Lake  like  a  mirror  in  the  hills.  As  far  as 
you  can  see,  to  the  east  and  to  the  south,  are 
mountain  ranges  diversified  with  sweet  valleys  and 
lovely  lakes. 

The  setting  sun  tinges  this  landscape  with  somber 
hues,  and  the  deepening  shades  of  twilight  steal- 
thily sweep  the  entire  scene  from  your  view.  Hun- 
dreds of  pilgrims  are  now  standing  around  in  many 
groups,  chanting  prayers,  clapping  their  hands,  and 
bowing  their  heads  in  reverence  of  the  magnificent 
scene.  Perhaps  you  imagine  that  they  are  worship- 
ing the  setting  sun.  But  they  do  not  know  them- 
selves what  they  are  adoring.  The  beauty  and 
the  solemnity  of  the  occasion  would  of  themselves 
naturally  call  forth  spontaneous  expressions  of 
superstitious  admiration  from  simple-minded  peas- 
ants. Here  was  the  monster  that,  but  a  few  years 
before,  had  sent  forth  a  mighty  stream  of  fire  and 
smoke  thousands  of  feet  into  the  air.  It  covered 
the  country  with  stones  and  ashes  for  nearly  a  hun- 
dred miles  around.     It  roared,  and  thundered,  and 


284  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

quaked.  The  surrounding  country  was  terribly 
shaken.  Yeddo  was  thrown  to  the  ground,  and 
was  burnt  up ;  while  over  twenty  thousand  of  its 
inhabitants  were  destroyed  in  the  frightful  disaster. 
Yet  here  lay  the  crater  peaceful  and  harmless  be- 
side us!  Where  had  the  terrible  and  mysterious 
power  gone?  What  wonder  that  the  untutored 
minds  of  the  people  were  smitten  with  reverential 
awe  when  in  the  presence  of  such  surroundings? 
Here  reposed  serenely  beneath  their  tread  the  crest 
that  had  beckoned  the  fleets  of  Perry  and  had 
guided  the  navies  of  the  empire. 

We  picked  our  way  back  to  the  hut  and  effect- 
ually demolished  the  supper  prepared  for  us  by 
the  boy.  Hiring  several  comforters  from  the  land- 
lord, we  burrowed  beneath  them  and  slept  soundly 
enough.  In  the  morning  we  rose  to  see  sunrise. 
The  scene  differed  totally  from  that  of  sunset. 
The  billowy  clouds  lay  banked  from  the  base  of 
the  cone  to  the  horizon  in  every  direction,  just  as 
if  the  ocean  had  risen  up  during  the  night.  We 
were  several  thousand  feet  above  them  in  clear  air. 
Suddenly  the  clouds  parted  about  midway  toward 
the  eastern  horizon  and  the  rays  of  the  glorious  sun 
shot  through  into  our  upper  atmosphere,  suffus- 
ing the  cone  with  a  gauzy,  tremulous  light,  exqui- 
sitely weird  and  fascinating.  The  clouds  soon 
rolled  away  to  the  horizon  and  we  had  the  heavenly 
panorama  of  the  previous  evening  spread  around 
us. 

In  this  rare  atmosphere,  the  rays  of  the  sun  are 


FUJIYAMA,  285 

very  powerful.  While  we  kept  within  the  shade, 
we  were  blue  with  cold ;  yet  when  we  allowed  the 
sun  to  shine  directly  upon  us,  we  could  almost  feel 
its  rays  blistering  our  skin. 

Breakfasting  as  well  as  we  could  with  chattering 
teeth,  we  proceeded  to  descend  the  cone  on  the 
landward  side  toward  Shubashiri,  the  town  whence 
almost  all  foreigners  start  to  climb  up.  We  made 
the  descent  within  four  hours.  We  ran  nearly  all 
the  way  down.  We  rushed  down  the  cone  at  a 
fearful  rate,  taking  long  jumps  and  landing  knee- 
deep  in  cinders  and  ashes.  Jack,  in  one  of  his  fly- 
ing jumps  went  over  a  huge  bowlder  into  a  group 
of  pilgrims  climbing  upward.  How  in  the  world 
he  avoided  killing  or  maiming  some  of  them  is  a 
mystery  to  me.  Two  of  them  were  knocked  down 
outright.  One  of  them  picked  himself  up  with  a 
grunt  and  went  on  his  way.  The  other  one  took 
to  his  heels  in  great  terror  at  the  strange  apparition 
of  a  heavily  bearded  head,  a  long  body,  and  a  pair 
of  mammoth  boots,  all  clattering  down  the  rocks 
without  any  apparent  intelligence  to  guide  their 
wild  career.  And  he  was  in  a  fair  way  to  beat  the 
record  down  to  Shubashiri  when  the  shouts  and 
laughter  of  his  companions  recalled  him.  Poor 
fellow !  He  was  as  pale  as  death.  He  had  never 
seen  a  foreigner  before,  and  such  an  abrupt  intro- 
duction rather  unsettled  his  nerves.  He  did  not 
show  even  a  scratch,  yet  he  had  been  thrown  upon 
his  back  while  his  heels  had  been  kicked  into  the 
air  with  such  force  that  one  of  his  sandals  had  been 


286  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

hurled  into  a  neighboring  ravine !  He  said  that  the 
only  thing  that  frightened  him  was  the  shaggy- 
beard  of  the  Ejinsan.  He  did  not  know  what  to 
make  of  it ;  and  as  he  wa§  pressed  for  time  for  re- 
flection, he  acted  upon  the  impulse  of  the  moment 
and  made  for  home. 

The  ascent  of  Fujiyama  is  by  no  means  a  dan- 
gerous or  very  difficult  one.  Provided  sufficient 
time  be  taken,  almost  any  one  possessing  average 
powers  of  endurance  can  scale  it.  Thousands  of 
pilgrims  climb  up  every  year.  Many  of  these  are 
old  men.  Many  of  them  are  women.  We  saw  an 
old  woman  on  the  summit,  who  was  said  to  be 
eighty  years  of  age.  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  she  was. 

Lunching  at  Shubashiri,  we  pushed  on  to  Ha- 
kon6  in  the  afternoon,  arriving  there  in  the  night. 
We  stopped  at  a  hotel  on  the  border  of  the  lake. 
Above  the  mountains  encircling  the  opposite  shore 
of  the  lake,  rose  the  cone  of  Fuji,  continually  re- 
minding me  during  my  stay  at  this  delightful  sum- 
mer resort,  of  one  of  the  pleasantest  trips  I  have 
ever  made.  Lovely  Fuji !  Farewell ! 
Yours  truly, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


LETTER   XVII. 
THE  SATSUMA  REBELLION. 

Kioto,  November  i,  1877. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus  : 

The  Satsuma  Rebellion,  which  has  been  raging 
since  the  beginning  of  the  year,  is  now  ended.  As 
the  theater  of  war  was  limited  to  the  Island  of 
Kiushiu,  we  have  seen  nothing  of  it.  Nor  has  it 
been  an  easy  matter  to  collect  reliable  information, 
as  the  reticent  government  officials  were  the  princi- 
pal reporters  of  the  military  operations.  For  eight 
terrible  months  the  Imperial  troops  have  been 
struggling  with  the  rebels,  shut  in  by  the  moun- 
tains and  hemmed  in  by  the  sea,  while  we  foreign- 
ers have  been  left  to  gather  information  as  best  we 
could.  However,  by  means  of  the  Yokohama  news- 
papers, and  by  conversation  with  those  returning 
from  the  scene  of  hostilities,  I  have  been  able  to 
follow  the  course  of  affairs  pretty  well. 

This  war  was  the  dying  struggle  of  Feudalism 
with  Imperialism.  It  was  a  contest  quite  as  mo- 
mentous to  the  destiny  of  the  Japanese  Empire 
as  was,  to  us,  our  rebellion  of  1 861.  The  Imperial 
Government  had  long  been  expecting  the  outbreak, 
therefore  they  were  to  a  certain  extent  prepared 


288  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

for  it.  Yet,  as  with  us  in  our  war,  they  did  not 
anticipate  so  fearful  a  conflict. 

The  soul  of  the  rebellion  was  the  elder  Saigo. 
The  Satsuma  clan,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  were 
the  rebels.  Saigo  was  the  ideal  of  feudal  chivalry. 
He  was  admired  and  feared,  not  only  by  his  own 
clan,  but  by  all  Japanese.  All  that  was  brave, 
shrewd,  and  magnanimous,  was  attributed  to  him. 
He  was  the  ideal  samurai^ — typical  of  all  that  was 
noble  and  grand  in  Japanese  estimation.  He  was 
considered  the  ablest  soldier  in  the  empire.  Dur- 
ing the  war  of  the  restoration,  nine  years  ago,  he 
led  the  Imperial  forces  against  the  Shogun,  and 
vanquished  him.  As  that  war  is  but  a  prelude  to 
the  present  conflict,  I  will  briefly  outline  it  here. 

At  the  commencement  of  that  struggle,  the  em- 
peror was  in  the  Gosho  (Imperial  castle  in  Kioto) 
under  the  surveillance  of  Tokugawa,  who  yet  con- 
trolled the  Imperial  person.  He  filled  the  castle 
of  Kioto  with  his  retainers.  Prestige  rested  on 
his  banners.  He  was  the  authorized  ruler  of  the 
empire.  Those  who  disobeyed  his  orders  were 
rebels  and  traitors.  But  his  authority,  while  not 
yet  openly  defied,  was  barely  tolerated  by  Satsuma, 
Tosa,  and  Choshiu.  These  mutinous  and  powerful 
clans  were  gathering  their  warriors  around  the 
Gosho  ostensibly  to  present  certain  petitions  to  the 
emperor,  but  with  the  secret  intention  of  wresting 
the  Imperial  person  from  the  Shogun's  grasp  and 
making  him  the  actual  sovereign  of  the  realm.  Until 
they  could  accomplish  this  adroit  diplomatic  stroke 


THE   SATSUMA  REBELLION.  289 

their  status  was  that  of  rebels  and  traitors;  but  with 
the  Imperial  person  in  their  possession,  they  could 
obtain  a  revocation  of  the  Shogun's  authority  to 
rule  the  empire,  and  could  strip  him  of  all  his  emol- 
uments and  power.  Satsuma  and  his  allies  would 
then  be  the  enforcers  of  the  Imperial  decrees ; 
while  the  Shogun  and  his  allies  would  be  rebels 
and  traitors  if  they  disobeyed  the  Imperial  man- 
dates. 

For  months  the  hostile  clans  were  busily  occu- 
pied in  collecting  their  forces  around  Kioto.  Aidzu 
and  Tokugawa  gathered  theirs  from  the  north ;  and 
Tosa,  Choshiu,  and  Satsuma  hurried  theirs  up  from 
the  southwest.  As  yet  there  were  no  open  hos- 
tilities, but  the  hostile  retainers  glared  savagely  at 
each  other  in  the  streets.  It  needed  but  a  spark 
to  kindle  the  flames  of  civil  war.  Saigo  and  Kirino 
were  on  hand  fuming  for  a  favorable  opportunity 
to  commence  the  strife,  and  the  opportunity  soon 
came.  Kirino  precipitated  the  conflict  by  expelling 
the  Shogun's  forces  from  the  vicinity  of  the  Gosho, 
and  securing  the  "  legal  grip "  of  the  emperor's 
person.  After  a  series  of  desperate  encounters,  the 
Imperialists  drove  the  Shogun's  forces  south  of 
Fusim6  toward  Osaca.  Here  they  rallied  and  were 
led  back  to  Fusim^,  with  heavy  reinforcements, 
where  they  were  met  by  Saigo's  forces  in  the  rice- 
fields.  It  is  said  that  on  this  occasion  Saigo,  by 
superior  strategy,  defeated  thirty  thousand  troops 
with  only  seven  thousand  men.  The  larger  body 
of  soldiers  found  it  almost  impossible  to  deploy 
19 


290  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

in  the  slushy  fields.  Saigo  therefore  enveloped  the 
heads  of  the  long  columns  with  nimble  skirmishers 
that  speedily  dissolved  the  huge  and  unwieldy  mas- 
ses into  a  routed  rabble. 

The  Shogun  fled  in  wild  disorder  to  Kob6,  where 
he  embarked  for  Yeddo  on  an  American  steamer, 
and,  retiring  to  his  castle  at  Shidzuoka,  he  took  no 
further  part  in  the  contest.  But  his  followers  kept 
up  the  fight  for  a  year.  They  were  driven  slowly 
northward  into  Yesso,  where  they  were  finally 
vanquished.  The  Province  of  Aidzu  was  terribly 
punished  for  its  obstinate  resistance.  Sword  and 
flame  followed  that  hardy  clan  into  its  mountain 
home  in  the  north,  and  reaped  a  fearful  harvest 
among  the  peaceful  villages  and  hamlets  of  that 
grandly  mountainous  Daimiate. 

At  the  close  of  hostilities,  Saigo,  instead  of  in- 
dulging in  promiscuous  proscription  of  the  hostile 
leaders,  magnanimously  pardoned  them.  This  act 
endeared  him  greatly  to  the  people,  and  made  him 
the  most  popular  man  in  the  empire. 

Satsuma  now  became  the  Imperial  pet.  Favors 
without  number  were  showered  upon  that  war- 
like clan.  Saigo  was  made  generalissimo  of  the 
Imperial  forces.  The  highest  offices  in  the  realm 
were  filled  by  Satsuma  men.  It  seemed  as  if 
too  much  could  not  be  done  for  this  clan.  Its 
slightest  frown  would  apparently  fill  the  Imperial 
bosom  With  great  solicitude,  and  the  will  of  Saigo 
became  law.  His  family  was  exalted ;  his  friends 
commanded  the  finest  appointments  at  the  empe- 


THE  SATSUMA   REBELLION,  29 1 

ror*s  disposal ;  the  army,  the  navy,  and  the  civil 
service  were  filled  with  Satsuma  men. 

At  the  same  time  it  must  be  conceded  that  the 
Satsuma  men  were  exceedingly  brave  and  capable. 
Years  of  independence  had  developed  in  them  ex- 
ecutive abilities  not  attained  by  less  favored  clans 
that  had  been  subjected  to  the  immediate  control 
of  the  hectoring  Shogun.  The  Satsuma  samurai 
were  certainly  clever,  daring,  and  hospitable.  At 
the  outbreak  of  hostilities,  Satsuma  was  generally 
conceded  to  be  more  than  a  match  for  any  clan 
in  the  empire.  And,  by  the  close  of  the  war, 
the  ardent  members  of  that  clan  began  to  consider 
themselves  a  match  for  the  empire  itself. 

The  bestowal  of  so  much  honor  upon  Satsuma 
naturally  excited  the  jealousy  of  other  clans  by  no 
means  deficient  in  able  men.  As  the  government 
became  firmer,  this  monopoly  of  Satsuma  began  to 
be  abridged,  and  men  from  other  clans  were  also  fa- 
vored with  honors.  And  it  soon  became  apparent 
that  the  power  of  Satsuma  had  ceased  to  be  om- 
nipotent. Although  the  members  of  that  warlike 
clan  did  not  exactly  relish  this  state  of  affairs,  yet 
they  possessed  too  much  good  sense  to  take  as  yet 
any  serious  offense  at  the  way  the  tide  was  turning. 
When  the  government,  in  1870,  abolished  feudal- 
ism, and  dispossessed  the  Daimios  of  their  Daimi- 
ates,  Satsuma  obediently  fell  into  line  and  supported 
the  new  regime.  During  the  rebellions  in  Saga  and 
in  Choshiu,  the  allegiance  of  Satsuma  remained 
unshaken. 


292         LET TERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

But  at  last  the  conservative  spirits  of  Satsuma 
became  discontented.  They  stood  aghast  at  the 
rapid  strides  civilization  was  making.  They  saw 
feudalism  and  old  Japan  drifting  hopelessly  out  of 
sight.  Truly  the  old  days  were  never  to  return ! 
The  privileges  of  the  samurai  were  being  curtailed. 
Centralization  had  set  toward  the  Tokio  Govern- 
ment, and  in  a  few  years  the  glory  of  Satsuma  would 
be  merged  in  the  empire, — its  resplendent  individu- 
ality would  be  a  matter  of  history.  Deep  and  omi- 
nous mutterings  were  heard.  For  two  years  before 
the  actual  commencement  of  hostilities,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  a  tremendous  conflict  was  brewing  be- 
tween the  conservative  and  the  liberal  elements  in 
Japan.  Nevertheless  the  government  steadily  pur- 
sued its  policy  of  introducing  whatever  it  found 
worth  imitating  in  the  customs  of  foreign  countries 
into  the  political  and  social  fabric  of  the  new  Japan. 

At  last  the  great  Saigo  grew  sullen.  He  with- 
drew from  Tokio  and  went  to  Kagoshima,  the  capi- 
tal of  Satsuma.  To  a  great  extent  this  province 
was  quite  independent  of  the  government  in  the 
management  of  its  internal  affairs.  Thither  flocked 
the  dissatisfied  Satsuma  men.  The  locality  was  emi- 
nently adapted  as  a  place  for  brewing  sedition,  as 
it  was  perfectly  free  from  government  surveillance, 
and  by  the  beginning  of  this  year  Saigo  and  Sat- 
suma were  in  full  revolt. 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  government  that  all  the 
leading  men  of  Satsuma  did  not  go  into  revolt.  It 
was  a   noticeable  fact   that    those  who  had   been 


THE  SATSUMA  REBELLION,  293 

abroad  and  had  obtained  liberal  ideas  were  loyal  to 
the  emperor.  The  younger  Saigo  remained  stead- 
fast in  his  allegiance.  So  did  Okubo,  the  Minister 
of  War.  But,  above  all,  the  navy,  filled  with  Sat- 
suma  men,  and  commanded  by  a  Satsuma  man,  re- 
mained faithful.  Had  the  fleet  not  prevented  the 
rebels  from  reaching  the  mainland,  the  issue  of  the 
conflict  would  have  indeed  been  doubtful.  Had 
Saigo  been  able  to  hurl  twenty-five  thousand  men 
upon  Kioto  or  Tokio,  it  would  have  been  a  black 
day  for  the  government.  With  the  navy  at  his  dis- 
posal, the  empire  would  have  been  at  his  merey. 

Great  was  the  terror  throughout  the  empire  when 
it  became  known  that  Satsuma  and  the  great  Saigo 
had  rebelled  against  the  government.  The  very 
name  of  Saigo  was  a  tower  of  strength  to  the  cause 
that  he  advocated.  His  personal  magnetism  and 
popularity  were  unbounded.  The  government 
feared  Satsuma  less  than  they  did  that  one  man.  I 
was  in  Tokio  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  and  can 
well  remember  the  fear  that  pervaded  all  classes. 
Many  feared  that  Saigo  would  appear  in  Tokio  in 
a  few  days,  leading  on  his  fierce  followers  to  plunder 
and  proscription.  The  emperor  and  his  court 
hastily  went  to  Kioto,  and  awaited  there  the  issue 
of  the  conflict.  The  wildest  stories  were  afloat.  It 
was  reported  that  the  frogs  on  the  western  shore  of 
some  pond  had  been  engaged  in  warfare  with  the 
frogs  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  pond,  and  had 
vanquished  them  after  a  long  struggle.  "  Ah  !  " 
said  the  superstitious  ones,  "  the  sword-hilt  is  in  the 


294  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

West  and  the  chrysanthemum  is  in  the  East.*' 
Some  one  said  that  the  heimitty  or  common  people, 
composing  a  large  part  of  the  Imperial  forces,  would 
never  be  able  to  face  the  samurai  of  Satsuma, — 
that  one  saimirai  would  put  five  hcimin  to  flight ; 
and  as  the  troops  marched  through  Tokio  on  their 
way  south  they  were  the  recipients  of  pitying  com- 
ments signifying  that  they  were  but  so  much  meat 
for  Saigo's  swords. 

It  was  now  time  for  the  men  of  Aidzu  to  have 
their  revenge  on  Satsuma.  They  eagerly  volun- 
teered their  services  and  flocked  to  the  death- 
grapple  with  their  ancient  enemies.  Many  wild 
young  samurai  of  other  clans  also  enlisted  from 
mere  love  of  fighting,  and  many  others  went  in 
on  principles  of  general  hatred  for  Satsuma.  These 
fierce  warriors,  trained  from  boyhood  to  the  expert 
use  of  the  formidable  double-handed  swords,  were 
valuable  auxiliaries  to  the  government  in  the  moun- 
tains and  ravines  of  Kiushiu,  where  hand-to-hand 
conflicts  were  fierce  and  frequent. 

Early  in  January  Saigo  took  the  initiative.  De- 
spairing of  winning  over  the  navy,  he  marched  his 
troops  northward  into  the  Province  of  Higo.  I 
presume  that  his  precise  plans  will  never  be  known. 
Some  say  that  his  object  was  to  conquer  the  Island 
of  Kiushiu  and  proclaim  it  an  independent  repub- 
lic ;  others  said  that  he  intended  to  march  rapidly 
to  the  Shimonos^ki  Straits  and  cross  over  to  the 
mainland  before  the  fleet  could  intercept  him ; 
once  on  the  mainland,  and  his  prospects  were  flat- 


THE  SAT  SUM  A  REBELLION.  295 

tering  of  raising  the  entire  country  in  revolt  and  of 
working  his  way  to  Kioto  and  Tokio  with  ranks 
ever  swelling  with  malcontents ;  while  others  said 
that  he  was  short  in  his  supply  of  arms  and  ammu- 
nition and  desired  to  equip  his  forces  at  the  maga- 
zines in  Kumamoto  Castle  in  the  northern  part  of 
Higo,  about  seventy  miles  north  of  Kagoshima. 

I  think  the  last  theory  is  not  improbable.  And 
it  is  quite  likely  that  after  overrunning  Kiushiu 
they  would  have  declared  an  independent  form  of 
government  of  some  description,  with  Saigo  at  its 
head.  Could  they  but  capture  the  castle  with 
a  bold  dash  they  would  start  with  grand  prestige, 
and  would  also  have  a  stronghold  in  a  wild  and 
mountainous  country  from  which  to  operate  upon 
any  part  of  Kiushiu.  The  troops  were  consequently 
hurried  forward  with  great  speed.  Although  it 
was  midwinter,  yet  the  roads  of  that  country  were 
entirely  free  from  snow.  The  winters  of  southern 
Japan  are  lovely  beyond  description. 

Satsuma  was  reputed  to  be  able  to  muster  sixty 
thousand  warriors;  Saigo's  forces,  however,  did 
not  exceed  twenty  thousand  men,  so  far  as  I  can 
ascertain.  Kumamoto  Castle  was  garrisoned  by 
about  three  thousand  troops,  and  it  was  well  sup- 
plied with  military  stores.  Strategically  consid- 
ered, the  point  was  of  vast  importance ;  for  until 
the  place  had  been  captured  no  army  from  Sat- 
suma could  get  to  Shimonos^ki  Straits,  or  operate 
elsewhere  upon  the  island  with  any  degree  of  suc- 
cess.    The   Imperial  Government  was  well  aware 


296  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

of  this  fact  and  had  evidently  well  prepared  the 
place  for  a  violent  attack. 

Saigo's  men  were  but  partly  armed  with  rifles. 
The  most  of  them  were  equipped  with  the  keen 
double-handed  swords  of  feudal  times,  and  with 
daggers  and  spears.  It  seemed  to  be  their  opinion 
that  patrician  samurai  could  rush  into  close  quar- 
ters with  the  hcimin  and  easily  rout  them — grant- 
ing even  that  they  were  armed  with  rifles  and  bay- 
onets. And  it  was  reported  that  the  astute  Saigo 
ordered  his  soldiers  not  to  kill  the  poor  plebs 
in  the  government  ranks,  but  rather  to  slash  them 
well  about  the  legs  so  as  to  disable  them  and  ren- 
der it  necessary  for  each  man  thus  wounded  to  be 
borne  off  the  field  by  two  able-bodied  comrades — 
thus  depriving  the  opposing  ranks  of  three  soldiers 
instead  of  one.  This  policy  argued  to  the  native 
mind  a  keen  insight  into  the  military  qualities  of 
the  hcimin. 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  Saigo  led 
up  against  Kumamoto  from  i$,ooo  to  20,000  as 
brave  and  desperate  men  as  Japan  could  furnish, 
and,  as  for  that  matter,  as  formidable  an  array  as 
any  troops  would  care  to  face.  Upon  their  ban- 
ners w^s  inscribed  the  suggestive  motto,  '*  If  we 
conquer y  we  arc  Imperialists ;  but  if  we  are  van- 
quished, then  are  we  rebels''  In  Japan,  even,  success 
constitutes  the  difference  between  patriots  and 
traitors. 

As  everything  depended  upon  celerity  of  action, 
Saigo  hurled  his   forces  fiercely  upon   Kumamoto. 


THE  SATSUMA   REBELLION,  297 

The  town  and  the  suburbs  were  speedily  reduced  to 
ashes,  but  the  troops  within  the  castle  repelled  all 
assaults  with  the  most  unexpected  bravery,  pug- 
nacity, and  skill.  They  fought  magnificently.  In 
the  first  place,  they  were  well  protected  by  massive 
walls  and  towers  from  which  they  could  use  their 
deadly  rifles  with  terrible  effect  upon  the  ranks  be- 
neath, and  in  the  second  place,  they  were  officered 
by  brave  and  skillful  samurai^  who  filled  them  with 
courage  and  pugnacity  by  their  example.  Upon 
their  stubborn  resistance  hung  the  issue  of  the  war. 
In  vain  did  Saigo  clamor  at  the  gates  and  hurl  his 
legions  against  the  walls.  His  slaughtered  warriors 
filled  the  moats  and  ravines  to  no  purpose.  It 
must  have  been  with  boundless  chagrin  that  he 
found  himself  compelled  to  settle  down  to  a  long 
siege  of  this  impregnable  place.  His  only  hope 
was  either  to  take  the  garrison  by  surprise,  or  to 
starve  them  out.  On  several  occasions  his  soldiers 
endeavored  to  scale  the  ramparts  at  night,  when 
the  absence  of  daylight  would  render  the  rifles  less 
deadly  until  close  quarters  had  been  reached,  when 
they  hoped  to  sweep  away  the  hostile  plebs  with 
a  few  cuts  with  their  blades.  But  every  assault 
failed.  The  garrison  was  always  on  the  qui  vive^ 
and  it  was  found  that  swords  and  bayonets  were 
not  wanting  skillful  hands  to  ply  them  within  the 
Imperial  ranks  when  it  came  to  a  question  of  close 
quarters. 

On  one  occasion,  two  hundred  of  the  most  des- 
perate of  Saigo's  men  pledged  themselves  to  either 


298  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

make  a  lodgment  within  the  castle  or  to  perish  in 
the  attempt.  They  chose  a  dark  and  stormy  night 
for  the  desperate  venture.  Stripping  off  their 
clothes,  and  taking  their  swords  in  their  hands,  they 
crept  through  the  gloom  toward  the  fatal  moat. 
None  of  them  ever  came  back  ;  and,  next  morning, 
the  Imperial  banners,  floating  defiantly  above  the 
turrets,  seemed  to  invite  other  bands  of  fanatics  to 
enter  the  slaughter  pen  and  be  butchered  with  rifle, 
revolver,  bayonet,  and  sword. 

Every  day  spent  in  besieging  the  castle  lessened 
Saigo's  chances  of  success  in  his  enterprise.  The 
government  forces  were  being  hurried  from  all 
parts  of  the  empire,  and  were  rapidly  closing  in 
around  Kumamoto. 

Saigo  found  that  he  would  soon  be  environed  by 
the  Imperial  troops.  He  decided  to  turn  upon 
them  and  rout  them  before  they  had  quite  hemmed 
him  in.  Leaving  a  small  force  to  watch  the  castle, 
he  marched  to  the  northward  to  meet  the  advanc- 
ing forces.  He  came  in  collision  with  them  among 
some  mountains  and  rice-fields.  A  series  of  terrible 
conflicts  ensued.  The  Imperial  troops  found  great 
difficulty  in  deploying  in  the  soft  mud  and  narrow 
ravines.  Before  they  had  forced  their  way  through 
this  section  of  the  country  they  had  suffered  heavy 
losses.  They  were  constantly  exposed  to  the  at- 
tacks of  nimble  bands  of  samurai  springing  from 
every  spot  suitable  for  ambush.  .  Hurling  them- 
selves madly  against  the  troops,  they  often  created 
sad  havoc  with  their  swords  among  the  disordered 


THE  SAT  SUM  A   REBELLION.  299 

crowds  weakened  by  toilsome  marching  through  a 
broken  country.  It  is  said  that  in  the  earlier  en- 
counters the  Imperial  troops  were  badly  decimated 
by  these  sudden  onslaughts,  and  it  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  for  these  expert  swordsmen  can  make  a 
bad  mess  in  a  confused  crowd. 

When  Sir  Harry  Parkes  visited  the  emperor  at 
Kioto  several  years  ago,  his  twelve  dragoons,  armed 
with  lances,  sabres,  and  revolvers,  were  attacked  by 
two  fanatics  who  suddenly  sprang  upon  them  from 
an  alley.  So  quick  were  they  in  their  movements 
that  nine  of  the  men  were  disabled  with  frightful 
gashes  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time.  The 
fanatics  would  have  escaped  without  a  scratch  had 
they  not  been  cut  down  by  a  couple  of  Japanese 
accompanying  the  body-guard. 

But  while  the  Imperialists  lost  heavily,  the  rebels 
also  suffered  severely.  They  found  that  the  heunin 
possessed  much  obstinate  pugnacity,  even  if  they 
did  not  possess  the  dashing  bravery  of  the  samurai. 
In  addition  to  all  this,  the  Imperial  forces  were 
being  constantly  reinforced,  while  Saigo  found  it 
almost  impossible  to  raise  recruits  just  as  soon  as  it 
became  manifest  that  he  was  playing  a  losing  game. 
He  soon  found  himself  facing  overwhelming  num- 
bers. After  several  weeks  of  hard  fighting,  the 
rebels  were  forced  back  upon  their  lines  at  Kuma- 
moto.  They  found  themselves  in  a  state  of  siege. 
For  many  weeks  they  kept  up  the  unequal  contest 
from  behind  their  breastworks  and  trenches.  The 
Imperialists  held  them   there  at   bay  while  they 


300  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

sent  troops  into  their  rear  to  cut  off  their  supplies. 
And,  to  make  matters  yet  more  hopeless,  Saigo 
now  found  his  supply  of  ammunition  nearly  ex- 
hausted. His  hopes  of  success  were  completely 
blasted,  yet  he  determined  to  continue  the  struggle. 

Finding  himself  nearly  surrounded,  he  raised  the 
siege  of  Kumamoto  Castle,  and  betook  himself 
with  his  remaining  followers  to  the  most  moun- 
tainous and  inaccessible  parts  of  Kiushiu,  and  there 
kept  up  an  annoying  guerrilla  warfare  for  many 
months.  At  last  his  indojnitable  energy  seemed  to 
weary  of  the  useless  contest.  Every  hope  was  ex- 
tinguished. He  resolved  to  lead  his  followers  back 
to  Kagoshima  and  die  in  a  last  desperate  struggle 
at  home.  Breaking  away  from  his  pursuers,  who 
had  chased  him  from  place  to  place  with  the  great- 
est persistency,  he  passed  rapidly  into  Satsuma,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Kagoshima,  upon  which  he  des- 
cended like  an  avalanche,  driving  out  the  few  sol- 
diers that  the  government  had  left  there.  The 
astonished  Imperialists,  however,  speedily  recovered 
from  the  bewilderment  produced  by  this  sudden 
onset,  and  speedily  collected  thirty  thousand  troops 
around  the  unhappy  rebels. 

Then  came  the  closing  scene.  A  friend  of  mine, 
who  was  in  command  of  one  of  the  steamers  in  the 
harbor,  gave  me  a  full  account  of  it.  "The  Im- 
perial forces,"  said  he,  *'  numbered  fully  thirty 
thousand  men.  The  rebel  army  had  dwindled 
down  to  six  hundred  men.  They  were  intrenched 
upon  a  hill-side  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 


THE  SATSUMA   REBELLION.  30I 

town.  At  daybreak  I  was  awaked  by  some  heavy 
rifle  firing,  and  was  told  that  Saigo  was  being 
routed  out  of  his  den  on  the  hill-side.  Climbing  the 
mast,  I  could  see  large  detachments  of  government 
troops  busily  at  work.  With  my  glasses,  I  could 
see  bodies  of  men  (rebels  I  presume)  scampering 
over  the  hill  in  all  directions.  They  were  evidently 
entirely  without  ammunition,  and  were  being  butch- 
ered mercilessly  by  the  troops,  who  could  shoot 
them  down  at  a  distance  with  rare  impunity. 
Within  an  hour,  everything  was  over.  When 
things  had  quieted  down,  I  went  ashore  with  a 
Japanese  officer  to  see  what  we  could. 

*'  Everything  seemed  quiet  and  orderly.  The  sol- 
diers were  demurely  standing  by  their  arms  in  line 
of  battle.  There  were  fully  thirty  thousand  of 
them,  all  armed  with  rifles.  They  completely  sur- 
rounded the  hill  upon  which  Saigo  had  been  in- 
trenched. In  many  places  they  had  constructed 
bamboo  fences  around  the  hill — so  much  did  they 
fear  that  this  terrible  Saigo  would  again  break 
through  and  escape.  But  he  and  his  chiefs  all  lay 
dead  upon  the  hill.  We  passed  through  the  lines, 
and  went  to  where  they  were  all  laid  out  in  a  row. 
They  had  evidently  committed  suicide.  Saigo  had 
performed  the  hara-kiri.  A  friend  had  then  cut  off 
his  head  and  was  running  away  with  it  when  inter- 
cepted. His  body  was  a  large  and  fine  one.  Upon 
the  breast  stood  the  gory  head  of  its  unfortunate 
possessor.  We  stood  for  quite  a  while  watching 
the  crowds  of  Imperial  officers  that  came  up.    This 


302  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

man  had  been  their  commander-in-chief  for  many 
years,  and  the  old  feeling  of  respect  and  admiration 
for  him  was  yet  uppermost  in  their  minds.  As 
each  one  recognized  the  features  of  Saigo  in  the 
ghastly  scene  before  him,  he  instinctively  saluted 
the  corpse  by  touching  his  cap.  They  conversed 
in  subdued  tones,  and  seemed  to  be  sincerely  sorry 
that  it  had  been  necessary  to  sacrifice  so  fine  a 
man." 

And  so  ended  the  Satsuma  Rebellion.  It  cost 
the  government  upward  of  fifteen  million  dollars 
to  quell  it.  To  us  this  sum  seems  small  enough,  but 
it  is  a  very  heavy  load  for  Japan,  I  can  assure  you. 
It  was  a  cause  of  grim  satisfaction  to  the  rebels 
that  they  had  at  least  inflicted  heavy  losses  on 
their  enemies.  The  government  lost  upward  of 
fifteen  thousand  men  in  battle ;  which,  con- 
sidering that  they  had  only  about  forty  thousand 
men  in  the  field,  is  a  tremendous  percentage.  But 
the  benefits  resulting  from  the  war  will  be  substan- 
tial and  far-reaching.  The  government  can  now 
exercise  control  over  the  internal  affairs  of  Satsuma, 
and  that  spirited  little  province  will  cease  to  be  a 
hot-bed  of  sedition.  The  Japanese  Empire  is  now 
an  established  fact. 

Yours  truly, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


KlINS    Oh 


THR    llTADKI     <  >K    AlDZl'    L  AMI  t. 


LETTER  XVIII. 

HIYEISAN. 

Kioto,  November  lo,  1877. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus  : 

One  of  the  most  enjoyable  excursions  in  the 
vicinity  of  Kioto  is  the  trip  to  the  summit  of 
Hiyeisan,  a  mountain  of  almost  solid  granitic  for- 
mation, situated  about  eight  miles  north-east  of  the 
city  and  overlooking  Lake  Biwa  from  an  altitude 
of  nearly  five  thousand  feet.  It  was  the  scat  of 
one  of  the  finest  Buddhist  monasteries  in  Japan. 
Its  priesthood  contained  over  five  thousand  mem- 
bers. They  owned  the  entire  mountain  and  much 
of  the  territory  around  its  base.  At  one  time  they 
are  said  to  have  levied  tribute  from  some  of  the 
adjoining  provinces.  In  those  days  of  their 
power  they  bade  defiance  from  their  rocky  eyrie 
to  the  Shoguns  themselves.  But  about  three- 
hundred  years  ago  they  were  totally  vanquished 
by  Nobunaga,  the  Shogun  preceding  Hid^yoshi. 
Since  that  time,  repeated  humiliations  have  crushed 
their  towering  ambition.  Their  monastery  is  now 
almost  deserted :  but  its  surroundings  and  its  his- 
tory are   nevertheless   exceedingly  interesting.     I 


304  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

will,  in  connection  with  a  description  of  the  monas- 
tery, take  this  occasion  to  give  you  a  few  observa- 
tions upon  Buddhism,  derived  from  several  years 
of  careful  observation  and  eager  research. 

Leaving  my  house  after  breakfast,  accompanied 
by  the  boy.  who  carried  our  lunch  in  a  basket,  we 
walked  through  several  miles  of  fields  and  gardens 
until  we  came  to  the  hills  at  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain. The  intervening  country  was  beautiful.  As 
we  rose  above  the  foot-hills  and  surrounding  moun- 
tains, we  obtained  a  view  of  the  Yamashiro  Val- 
ley, that  was  lovely  beyond  description.  Kioto, 
embowered  in  groves  and  gardens,  lay  far  beneath 
us  beside  the  glittering  shoals  of  the  Kamogawa. 
There  lay  the  religious  heart  of  the  empire,  sur- 
rounded by  its  temples  and  shrines.  The  road  up 
the  mountain  was  well  shaded  and  plentifully  suj>- 
plied  with  delightful  springs  of  water  bubbling  up 
from  numerous  granite  basins. 

The  scenery  from  every  point  was  superb.  The 
slopes  were  deeply  wooded  and  formed  safe  retreats 
for  wild  deer  and  boars ;  and  the  glorious  pheasants, 
startled  by  our  footsteps,  whirred  past  us  ever  and 
anon. 

Just  before  reaching  the  monastery,  we  had  a 
view  of  Lake  Biwa,  that  was  surpassingly  lovely. 
This  lake  is  lovelier  than  Lake  George  ;  and  it  is 
nearly  twice  as  large.  The  scenery  around  its 
shores  is  far  grander.  The  lake,  with  its  inclosing 
mountains,  forms  a  huge  basin  constituting  Omi 
Province.     The  blue  water  lies  beneath  us,  bearing 


HIYEISAN.  305 

on  its  bosom  boats  and  steamers.  Spread  around 
the  shores  are  lovely  green  fields  and  villages.  I 
have  seen  grander  scenery  in  Japan,  but  there  is 
none  more  beautiful  than  the  glimpses  of  Lake 
Biwa  as  seen  through  the  trees  from  the  sides  of 
Hiyeisan. 

Turning  a  sharp  bend  in  the  road,  we  come  in 
view  of  the  monastery  in  the  forests  of  magnificent 
cryptomeria  among  whose  topmost  branches  the 
roofs  may  be  seen  like  dovecotes  in  the  trees. 
Although  the  mountain  was  an  inexhaustible  quarry 
of  granite,  yet  the  builders  of  the  temples  never 
used  a  bit  of  stone  in  their  buildings.  Everything 
was  made  of  wood.  In  the  old  days  the  monastery 
had  scores  of  huge  temples  all  through  these  superb 
groves  up  here  within  this  lovely  vale,  and  within 
half  an  hour's  climb  of  the  summit,  and  shrines 
innumerable  were  scattered  along  the  roadside 
away  down  to  the  foot-hills. 

The  monastery,  in  the  days  of  its  prosperity, 
was  indeed  a  magnificent  institution.  From  it,  as  a 
center,  roads  branched  out  into  all  the  provinces 
around  the  base  of  the  mountain.  The  abbot 
claimed  the  entire  mountain  and  liberal  slices  of 
adjoining  territory.  His  shaven  emissaries  made 
regular  circuits  of  his  little  realm,  collecting  the 
revenues  and  superintending  matters  generally. 
He  was  a  great  power  in  the  land,  not  only  dictating 
terms  to  the  neighboring  Daimios,  but  frequently 
waging  successful  war  against  them.  The  abbot 
had  a  very  elastic  title.  The  legends  report  that 
20 


306  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

an  ancient  monk  requested  from  the  authorities 
some  land  upon  the  mountain,  whereon  to  build  a 
shrine  in  honor  of  Shaka  (Buddha).  He  desired  as 
much  land  as  his  mat  would  cover.  This  apparently- 
modest  request  was  readily  granted.  Whereupon 
the  mat,  upon  which  the  monk  was  sitting,  began 
to  spread  out  in  every  direction,  by  means  of  super- 
natural influences,  until  it  had  covered  the  entire 
mountain,  thus  securing  by  this  pious  fraud  an 
immense  piece  of  territory.  Should  this  abstract 
of  title  fail  to  convince  the  incredulous,  the  legen- 
dary archives  furnish  another  title,  to  the  effect 
that  the  monk  was  decreed  as  much  land  as  he 
could  reach  with  his  staff  while  he  stood  still. 
Whereupon  the  stick  began  to  lengthen  until  it 
reached  the  foot-hills,  thus  including  the  mountain 
within  its  scope.  Should  either  of  these  claims 
fail  to  convince,  I  doubt  not  but  what  the  incredu- 
lous will  find  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  titles  within 
the  monastic  archives  from  which  to  choose. 

Centuries  ago,  when  the  monastery  was  founded, 
the  mountain  was  wild  and  rugged  enough.  Pine, 
oak,  beech,  kayaki  (the  finest  hard  wood  in  Japan), 
maple,  and  bamboo  trees  covered  the  slopes  and 
cliffs,  while  impenetrable  underbrush  filled  the  rav- 
ines. Monkeys  filled  the  forests,and  wild  boars,deer, 
bears,  and  panthers  rendered  the  place  a  grand  hunt- 
ing-ground for  valorous  Daimios  from  the  adjoin- 
ing provinces.  It  was  truly  a  wild  and  magnificent 
country.  But  in  the  course  of  years  the  undergrowth 
was  cleared  away  from  the  vicinity  of  the  monastery, 


HIYEISAN.  307 

and  thousands  of  cryptomeria  were  planted  there, 
which  in  a  few  years  embowered  the  whole  vale  and 
plateau  in  their  cool  embrace.  Roads  were  laid 
out  through  the  forests  on  all  sides.  They  wound 
around  the  spurs,  zig  zagged  down  the  slopes,  and 
hugged  the  edges  of  the  ravines,  until  they  emerged 
into  the  green  fields.  The  waters  of  the  delicious 
springs  that  had  erstwhile  trickled  through  the 
rocks  into  the  brooks  gushing  from  the  mountain 
side,  were  zealously  captured  and  imprisoned  for 
awhile  within  the  stone  fountains  by  the  roadside, 
where  the  weary  pilgrims  could  drink  of  them  and 
be  refreshed.  Eligible  localities  were  selected  for 
booths,  where  the  travelers  could  with  a  glance 
take  in  the  Eden-like  beauties  of  Yamashiro,  or  the 
sparkling  glories  of  Omi  clasped  with  emerald  fields 
and  sunk  thousands  of  feet  within  the  rugged 
mountains.  From  these  eyries  you  can  view  with 
solemn  feelings  the  majesty  of  the  parting  day  as 
the  shadows,  lingering  upon  the  mountain  sides, 
stealthily  creep  over  the  fields  upon  the  blue  waves 
beneath,  where  scudding  boats  are  flying  homeward 
on  bended  wings.  Here  the  moonlight  and  the 
zephyrs,  sporting  with  the  somber  hues  of  night, 
seem  to  tremble  at  the  mellow  notes  of  the  match- 
less bells  tolling  in  the  belfries  of  the  monastery. 
Here  the  tired  pilgrim  can  drink  in  the  beauties  of 
nature,  while  his  nerves,  cooled  by  the  delicious 
water  and  the  fragrant  winds,  are  eminently  suscep- 
tible to  the  sublime  influences  and  the  grand  inspira- 
tions of  the  surroundings.     Three  times   have  I 


3o8  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

climbed  Hiyeisan,  and  yet  do  not  find  myself  tired 
of  its  scenery. 

The  fame  and  popularity  of  the  monastery  spread 
through  the  entire  country.  Thousands  of  pil- 
grims enriched  its  coffers  with  their  contributions. 
Princes  were  votaries  at  its  shrines,  being  desirous 
of  propitiating  the  unseen  powers  of  this  world  and 
those  of  the  next — whatever  they  might  be.  New 
temples  of  vast  proportions  and  elegant  design 
were  put  up.  Innumerable  shrines  for  the  propitia- 
ting of  every  conceivable  influence  in  the  Buddhist 
calendar  were  scattered  everywhere,  so  that  the 
throngs  could  take  measures  to  ward  off  all  imagin- 
able ills  that  might  be  lying  in  ambush  against  them. 
The  simple  quarters  of  the  primitive  anchorites  de- 
veloped into  luxurious  and  commodious  establish- 
ments. The  clothing  of  the  monks  became  elegant, 
and  the  food  became  rich.  Sak^  became  a  common 
beverage.  The  fatted  fellows  too  often  spent  their 
evenings  in  drunken  stupor  instead  of  religious 
meditation.  The  strict  vegetarian  diet  of  their 
sect  was  discarded,  and  flesh,  fish,  and  fowl  were 
abundantly  partaken  of  to  the  great  scandal  of 
the  orthodox  brethren,  who  abstained  from  eating 
anything  that  had  been  animated  with  the  breath 
of  life.  In  those  bacchanalian  times,  you  doubtless 
would  have  seen  the  bald-headed  monks  sallying 
forth  to  hunt  the  beasts  upon  the  mountain  with 
spears  and  arrows.  Ah  !  those  were  indeed  roar- 
ing times,  Julius  Marcellus. 

Nor  were  these  fatted  monks  satisfied  with  hav- 


HI  YE  I  SAN,  309 

ing  the  monopoly  of  things  spiritual,  but  they  must 
needs  dabble  in  things  temporal.  After  centuries 
of  uncurbed  indulgence,  their  soaring  pride  and 
vaunting  arrogance  induced  them  to  dictate  in  mat- 
ters relating  to  the  State.  Now,  if  there  is  any 
point  upon  which  the  Japanese  temporal  authori- 
ties are  sensitive  it  is  upon  the  question  of  their 
prerogatives.  Touch  them  there,  and  they  blaze 
with  fury.  Dare  to  question  their  authority  over 
the  people,  and  you  excite  the  fiercest  and  bitterest 
passions  in  their  natures.  The  bellicose  brethren 
of  Hiyeisan  might  have  gone  on  for  ages  whacking 
each  other's  shins,  and  fetching  the  gore  from  each 
other's  shining  pates,  until  every  nerve  in  their 
bodies  jumped  with  anguish,  while  practicing  the 
intricacies  of  the  fencing  art  with  heavy  bamboo 
foils — nay,  more,  they  might  have  exercised  acts  of 
summary  justice  within  their  own  domains  to  a  lim- 
ited extent  without  being  interfered  with.  But  when 
they  began  to  meddle  in  the  general  politics  of  the 
neighboring  regions  and  to  fling  their  formidable 
semi-spiritual  and  semi-military  organization  into 
the  balance,  then  was  reached  a  point  of  audacity 
that  could  not  be  tolerated  by  the  ruling  powers. 
A  wild  and  horrible  contest  ensued.  Terrible 
battles  were  fought.  The  fierce  monks  were  forced 
back  from  point  to  point.  They  were  slowly  pushed 
into  the  ravines  and  up  the  slopes  of  Hiyeisan,  stub- 
bornly contesting  every  vantage  ground.  Finally 
they  were  shut  within  the  walls  of  their  monastery, 
where   they  were  well-nigh  annihilated  ;    and  the 


3 1 0  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

magnificent  monastery  was  razed  to  the  ground. 
All  the  superb  temples  with  their  gorgeous  para- 
phernalia were  swept  out  of  existence.  Desolation 
marked  the  place  for  years. 

After  the  assassination  of  the  terrible  Nobunaga, 
those  monks  that  had  escaped  the  sword  timidly 
came  back  to  their  mountain  home  and  began  to 
build  again.  In  a  few  years  the  ancient  glories 
of  the  place  began  to  revive ;  but  the  monastery 
never  again  attained  its  former  magnificence.  The 
buildings,  though  grand,  were  not  as  magnificent 
as  those  of  yore.  The  monks  were  never  as  numer- 
ous as  in  old  times ;  nor  did  they  develop  the  mili- 
tary traits  that  characterized  them  before  their 
fearful  humiliation  and  decimation.  The  place, 
however,  soon  became  a  great  Buddhist  monastery, 
and  a  popular  resort  for  pilgrims. 

But  the  monastery  of  to-day  is  almost  deserted. 
Since  the  disestablishment  of  the  Buddhist  religion 
as  a  state  religion,  the  funds  have  been  cut  off ;  and 
the  revenues  collected  from  the  pilgrims  during  the 
summer  are  insufficient  to  keep  up  the  establish- 
ment. While  many  pilgrims  may  visit  the  shrines, 
yet,  being  but  poor  peasants,  but  little  money  is 
dropped  into  the  coffers  by  them.  The  monastery 
always  depended  for  its  chief  support  upon  dona- 
tions from  the  wealthy  classes,  who  now  have  cast 
aside  their  ancient  creeds  and  stand  forth  as  arrant 
atheists.  But  even  the  present  temples  are  worth 
inspecting.  Although  not  so  exquisite  as  those  of 
Nikko,  nor  so  majestic  as  those  of  Kioto,  yet  they 


HI  Y EI  SAN, 


311 


are  splendid  specimens  of  native  architecture,  and 
the  grounds  of  the  monastery  are  lovely  even  in 
their  unkept  condition.  From  many  parts  of  the 
place  you  can  peep  through  the  trees  upon  the 
blue  waters  of  Lake  Bivva, — a  scene  in  itself  suffi- 
cient to  repay  you  for  the  exertions  of  the  journey  ; 
and  if  you  will  go  beyond  the  monastery  and 
climb  the  summit  behind  it,  you  will  obtain  a 
splendid  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  extend- 
ing as  far  as  Osaca  Bay  on  the  south  (which  may 
be  seen  on  a  clear  day),  and  as  far  as  the  mountains 
of  Echizen  on  the  north  ;  while  to  the  east  and 
west  endless  mountain  ranges  stretch  toward  the 
horizon. 

The  Buddhists  are  the  champion  monastery 
builders  of  the  world.  In  the  rugged  mountains 
of  Thibet,  in  Ceylon,  in  the  islands  south  of  Asia, 
in  the  vast  provinces  of  China,  and  in  Japan,  you 
will  find  these  stately  and  elaborate  institutions 
wherever  an  exceptionally  lovely  locality  is  to  be 
found.  Many  centuries  ago  have  these  nature- 
loving  anchorites  pre-empted  all  the  choice  spots. 
And  it  must  be  conceded  that  they  have  rendered 
great  service  to  mankind  by  beautifying  spots  and 
localities  that  otherwise  would  have  remained  wild 
fastnesses,  and  by  cultivating  the  aesthetic  part  of 
human  nature,  by  holding  Nature  herself  in  her 
loveliest  moods  before  its  gaze.  Who  can  doubt 
that  the  thousands  of  peasants,  who  have  left  the 
slime  of  their  native  fields  and  the  miasmas  of  their 
filthy  villages,  and  have  visited  these  cool  retreats 


312         LE  TTERS  PROM  JAPAN, 

in  clean  vesture  for  a  few  days  during  the  sultry 
summer,  go  back  to  their  drudgery  with  more 
cheerful  minds  and  with  a  few  fresh  ideas  about 
the  lovely  world  beyond  the  borders  of  their 
wretched   hamlets  ? 

Love  for  nature  is  one  of  the  characteristic  ideas 
of  Buddhism.  Shaka  himself  was  powerfully  in- 
fluenced by  it.  The  son  of  a  king,  brought  up  amid 
luxury  and  refinement,  possessing  a  sensitive  and 
sympathetic  nature,  and  gifted  with  a  keen  and 
philosophic  mind  rarely  found  in  one  of  his  rank, 
he  is  suddenly  brought  in  repulsive  contact  with 
human  misery.  The  reaction  upon  his  nature  was 
intense.  It  produced  melancholy  meditation  and  a 
violent  distaste  for  the  garish  frivolities  of  the  sen- 
suous court  in  which  he  had  been  brought  up. 
Meditation  begat  a  thirst  for  further  facts  relating  to 
the  affairs  of  human  life.  He  flies  from  the  court 
and  its  hateful  associations.  He  wanders  about 
among  men,  and  becomes  familiar  with  the  details 
of  human  life.  With  his  mind  well  stored  with  ac- 
curate facts,  and  with  his  heart  sickened  with  scenes 
of  cruelty  and  misery,  he  left  the  society  of  men 
and  fled  to  the  solitudes  of  nature,  hoping  there  to 
generalize  upon  the  facts  he  had  collected,  and  to 
evolve  some  supreme  principle,  some  great  and 
general  law  that  should  regulate  human  passions 
and  cruelty,  and  thus  lessen  the  terrible  misery  of 
mankind  that  he  saw  prevailing  everywhere. 

After  years  of  profound  thought,  he  evolved  the 
grand  idea  that  if  men  would  be  merciful  to  all  liv- 


HIYEISAN.  313 

ing  creatures,  then  the  suffering  in  this  world  would 
be  greatly  reduced.  Carrying  out  this  idea  into 
practice,  he  formed  a  law  to  the  effect  that  no  creat- 
ure animated  with  life  should  be  killed.  This,  he 
thought,  would  prevent  homicide  and  the  needless 
slaying  of  dumb  creatures.  Evolving  yet  further 
from  his  soulful  meditations,  he  conceived  the  idea 
that  for  man  to  live  above  the  miseries  of  this  life 
and  to  obtain  an  exemption  from  miseries  hereafter, 
it  was  necessary  for  him  to  eliminate  from  his  mind 
all  thoughts  and  desires  whatsoever,,  to  make  his 
mind  a  void  and  keep  it  in  that  condition  until  utter 
mental  abstraction  had  been  attained.  Then,  in  the 
course  of  years,  when  the  body  died,  the  mind 
would  merge  into  nothingness, — the  original  con- 
dition of  the  universe,  according  to  his  ideas, — and 
the  human  desires  and  passions,  which  were  mere  ac- 
cidents of  matter  clogging  the  mind,  would  be  anni- 
hilated. And  the  mind  would  also  be  annihilated, 
for  Nirvana  means  nothing  else. 

In  accordance  with  this  theory,  he  enunciated 
the  dogma  that  this  utter  mental  abstraction  could 
be  attained  before  death,  and  whoever  attained 
it  thus  during  life,  would  become  Nirvana  at  death. 
But  that  if  any  one  neglected  to  attain  this  mental 
abstraction  before  death,  then  his  desires  and  pas- 
sions would  still  hold  his  mind  captive  and  would 
force  it  into  new  forms  of  existence ;  would  pass 
it  through  ceaseless  existence  for  cycles  of  time 
until  it  had  again  become  endowed  with  the  human 
body,  when  it  would  have  another  chance  for  Nir- 


314  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

vana  ;  which,  if  it  again  neglected  to  attain,  it  would 
again  be  whirled  through  the  ceaseless  miseries  of 
mundane  existence.  In  other  words,  existence  is  a 
curse.  Cease  to  exist,  become  Nirvana,  and  you 
will  be  freed  from  everything. 

The  first  proposition  was  better  adapted  to  the 
people.  Hence  we  find  them  respecting  animals 
and  treating  them  considerately.  Although,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  some  of  them  were  killed  for 
food,  yet,  the  effect  of  centuries  of  teaching  was, 
to  make  the  people  of  Burmah,  China,  and  Japan, 
to  a  large  extent,  vegetarians.  This  accounts  for 
the  rice  diet,  perhaps.  It  has  also  made  them  mild 
in  disposition. 

The  second  part  of  the  proposition  could  not,  of 
course,  be  fully  comprehended  or  practiced  by  the 
masses  of  the  people.  It  was  a  theory  brooded 
upon  by  the  monks  alone.  And  even  among  them 
it  was  a  rare  thing  to  see  a  monk  endeavoring  to 
attain  Nirvana.  It  was  a  mysterious  doctrine  that 
but  few  of  them  tried  to  put  into  practice.  But 
should  any  of  them  ever  feel  disposed  to  put  the 
theory  into  practice,  there  was  always  the  dark  room 
reserved  for  him  in  some  secluded  part  of  the 
monastery  where  he  could  immure  himself.  The 
natural  result  of  trying  to  banish  earthly  cares 
from  their  thoughts,  led  the  monks  to  seek  retired 
localities  among  the  mountains  congenial  to  such 
an  existence.  This  led  to  a  romantic  and  beautiful 
system  of  monastery  life,  which  was  probably  copied 
by  the  Romish  Church  and  introduced  into  Europe. 


HIYEI$AN,  315 

The  monastic  life  in  Japan,  during  the  days  when 
Buddhism  was  the  state  religion,  must  have  been 
charming  and  romantic.  Embowered  among  the 
grand  mountains  of  the  empire,  they  were  secluded 
from  the  world,  and  yet  exercised  great  influence 
upon  it.  The  faith  was  introduced  from  Corea  and 
China  fully  fourteen  centuries  ago,  possibly  earlier. 
It  found  the  people  to  be  amiable  barbarians  well- 
disposed  to  supplement  their  vague  pastoral  re- 
ligion (Shintoism)  with  something  more  substantial. 
Sites  for  temples  and  monasteries  were  speedily 
selected.  And  in  a  few  years,  or  centuries,  rather, 
a  superb  system  of  monasteries  filled  the  empire 
with  unsurpassed  beauty.  Magnificent  groves  en- 
vironed them.  Cooling  streams  bubbled  through 
their  spacious  grounds.  The  deep  shade  and  silence 
of  their  superb  forests  of  cryptomeria,  that  clothed 
the  mountains  with  stately  grandeur,  called  up  the 
pensive  moods  of  millions  of  pilgrims  during  many 
centuries.  All  the  surroundings  of  these  grand 
institutions, — the  icy  streams  pouring  from  moss- 
covered  basins,  the  sweet  shade,  the  bracing  air,  the 
melancholy  solitude, — all  brought  man  into  com- 
munion with  nature  that  could  not  fail  to  benefit 
him. 

Here  lived  the  monks  for  centuries,  high  up  in 
the  exhilarating  atmosphere  with  their  soul-stirring 
surroundings.  Sworn  to  celibacy,  their  ranks  were 
replenished  with  recruits  from  the  seriously  inclin- 
ed members  of  the  community,  usually  from  the 
middle  classes.     Fugitives  from  the  vengeance  of 


3  1 6  LET  TERS  FROM  J  A  PA  N. 

political  adversaries  frequently  found  refuge  with 
the  brotherhood.  Sometimes  a  man  of  property 
would  endow  them  with  all  his  possessions,  and 
retire  within  their  ranks  to  count  the  beads  and 
chant  the  prayers.  Sometimes  those  saddened 
by  reverses  and  disappointed  in  their  aspirations 
slipped  away  from  home  and  friends  to  dream 
away  the  balance  of  their  lives  in  the  routine  of 
religious  duties.  But  by  far  the  larger  proportion 
of  the  brotherhood  was  composed  of  those  who 
had  no  special  ambition  or  aim  in  life,  and  who 
could  be  easily  induced  by  the  proselyting  monks 
to  enter  the  sacred  walls  and  be  assured  of  a  life 
of  comparative  ease  and  comfort. 

I  am  not  aware  that  any  of  the  monks  ever  at- 
tained Nirvana,  I  do  not  think  they  were  much 
inclined  to  that  sort  of  thing.  I  do  not  think  the 
happy,  volatile,  and  inquisitive  temperament  of  the 
Japanese  could  ever  have  endured  the  weary  years 
of  stupid,  deadening  abstraction  indulged  in  by 
Chinese  and  Hindoo  devotees.  They  much  pre- 
ferred a  life  of  quiet  contentment,  with  plenty  to 
eat  and  drink,  and  with  no  anxiety  about  worldly 
matters.  Chanting  the  orisons  at  daylight,  break- 
fast at  about  seven  o'clock,  light  household  duties 
during  the  morning  hours,  dinner  at  twelve,  study, 
meditation,  and  recreation  in  the  afternoon,  chant- 
ing the  vespers  at  sunset,  and  a  long  night  for  sleep, 
— there  you  have  the  whole  business  in  a  nut-shell. 
What  an  opportunity  for  moral  and  intellectual 
development !     What  might  not  have  been  accom- 


HI  Y EI  SAN.  317 

plished   during   a   thousand   years  in  the  way  of 
enlightening  the  world ! 

Yet  nothing  was  accomplished.  Aside  from 
beautifying  and  developing  temple  architecture, 
from  creating  magnificent  forests  and  avenues 
around  their  retreats,  and  instilling  into  the  people 
a  certain  amount  of  reverential  awe  and  love  for 
Nature,  the  monks  did  nothing  for  the  intellect- 
ual or  the  moral  development  of  Japan.  They 
made  no  inventions  or  discoveries  in  any  of  the 
departments  of  science.  They  added  nothing 
of  any  special  importance  to  the  literature  of 
the  empire.  No  agricultural  improvements  are 
attributed  to  them.  In  no  way  were  they  con- 
nected with  the  political  advancement  of  the 
people.  Ambitionless,  spiritless,  deadening,  their 
lives  were  just  like  their  creed  —  a  hopeless 
endeavor  to  merge  existence  into  oblivion  and 
Nirvana.  Their  lives  were  perfect  blanks.  The 
vast  majority  did  not  live  by  the  strict  rules  of 
their  sect.  They  evaded  almost  every  require- 
ment. They  followed  the  inclination  of  their  vol- 
atile natures.  They  indulged  in  the  entire  list  of 
vices.  They  were  gamblers,  libertines,  drunkards, 
and  sodomites.  Rarely  would  you  find  good  and 
pious  men  ;  and  these  were  unable  to  stem  the  tide 
of  corruption  that  prevailed  in  the  monasteries. 
Although  not  so  warlike,  the  monks  throughout 
the  empire  were  no  better  than  those  of  Hiyeisan. 
A  life  of  utter  idleness  and  sensuous  ease,  without 
any  elevating  power  in  their  religion  sufficient  to 


3 1  8  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

master  the  bent  of  their  passions  and  appetites, 
completely  neutralized  any  elevating  effect  de- 
rivable from  their  lovely  surroundings.  What 
literature  they  did  produce  consisted  of  wild  and 
improbable  legends  invented  by  their  vivid  imagi- 
nations and  tacked  on  to  the  life  of  Shaka,  or  on 
to  that  of  some  canonized  monk. 

*  There  is  absolutely  nothing  in  Buddhism  to 
elevate  mankind  as  the  religion  of  Christ  has  done. 
This  conclusion,  I  think,  is  sound.  It  is  the  result 
of  long  observation.  The  teachings  of  Shaka  are 
a  wild  dream,  a  weird  speculation,  a  fantastic 
theory,  an  ingenious  hypothesis  of  a  sincere  and 
noble  soul  blindly  groping  for  some  principle  that 

*  In  order  that  you  may  understand  why  the  descriptive  portion 
of  this  letter  should  here  abruptly  merge  into  an  argument,  it  may 
be  well  to  explain  that  the  method  of  reasoning  herein  followed  was 
one  evolved  from  many  hours  of  animated  discussion  with  my  schol- 
ars during  several  years  of  teaching.  Some  of  my  pupils  were  keen 
and  intelligent  young  men  who  had  become  versed  in  all  the  skep- 
tical arguments  of  the  age  against  Christianity.  It  was  always  un- 
derstood that  I,  while  in  no  sense  a  sectarian,  was  a  firm  believer 
in  the  doctrines  of  Christ;  and  furthermore,  that  I  was  always  ready 
to  take  up  the  gauntlet  in  defense  of  my  beliefs  whenever  a  scholar 
desired  to  discuss  such  subjects;  provided,  however,  that  the  dis- 
cussion was  in  legitimate  connection  with  the  lesson  of  the  day  and 
did  not  conflict  with  other  duties.  As  a  matter  of  course,  the  young 
men,  arguing  in  English,  did  not  always  express  themselves  clearly 
or  idiomatically;  but,  after  comprehending  their  full  meaning,  I 
always  reduced  their  ai^uments,  as  a  matter  of  courtesy,  to  intelli- 
gible shape,  prior  to  combating  them.  The  majority  of  their  argu- 
ments were  weak  and  easily  disposed  of.  Some  of  their  attacks, 
however,  as  you  will  probably  admit  in  reading  the  balance  of  this 
letter,  were  by  no  means  easy  to  noeet. 


HI  Y EI  SAN,  319 

should  explain  the  mysteries  of  life  and  death.  It  is 
claimed  by  some  Boston  philosopher  that  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  Buddhism  and  those  of  Chris- 
tianity are  the  same ;  that  both  are  identical  in 
underlying  truths;  that  both  are  human  religions, 
and  that  the  religion  of  Christ  will  not  elevate  the 
Asiatics  any  more  than  the  religion  of  Shaka  has 
done ;  that  each  religion  is  specially  adapted  by 
nature  to  those  countries  where  it  prevails.  What 
a  wild  statement !  No  thinking  and  candid  man 
who  has  lived  for  any  number  of  years  among 
Buddhists  would  ever  say  this.  Nobody  who 
knows  anything  about  the  practical  workings  of 
Buddhism  from  personal  experience  could  ever 
have  the  audacity  to  make  so  false  a  statement. 
Your  Boston  philosopher  has  evidently  derived  all 
his  ideas  of  Buddhism  from  books.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  account  for  his  inaccurate  conclusions  in 
any  other  way ;  unless  we  assume  that  he  harbors 
a  bitter  hatred  against  the  religion  of  Christ,  de- 
rived, as  is  sometimes  unfortunately  the  case,  from 
bitter  associations  during  childhood.  Let  us  argue 
this  matter  a  little. 

All  institutions  must  be  judged  by  their  effects 
or  results.  As  it  has  been  expressed,  "  from  their 
fruits  shall  ye  know  them."  There  is  no  other  test 
that  can  be  applied.  And  this  test  is  a  perfectly 
satisfactory  one.  Now,  I  lay  down  the  reasonable 
proposition  that  the  object  of  religion  is  to  elevate 
the  spiritual  and  moral  nature  of  man.  If  it  fails 
to  accomplish  this,  then  what  is  it  good  for?     Is  it 


320  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

merely  to  breed  superstition  among  childish  men 
and  women?  If  that  is  all  it  can  accomplish,  it 
had  better  be  abolished.  Now  let  us  apply  this 
test  to  the  religion  of  Christ  and  to  that  of 
Shaka. 

Buddhism  has  been  in  the  world  about  twenty- 
five  hundred  years.  It  has  prevailed  for  two 
thousand  years  throughout  all  eastern  Asia.  The 
religion  of  Christ  has  been  in  the  world  only 
eighteen  hundred  years.  It  has  prevailed  through- 
out western  Europe  for  less  than  thirteen  centuries. 
Twenty-five  centuries  ago,  Buddhism  commenced 
to  operate  upon  people  who  were  the  most  refined 
and  civilized  in  existence.  They  had  a  literature 
fully  two  thousand  years  old.  They  had  cities  and 
palaces  of  vast  size  and  magnificence.  Eighteen 
centuries  ago  England  was  inhabited  by  a  race  of 
tattooed  savages  living  in  caves  and  fens.  Cities 
were  unknown.  Marshes  and  dense  forests  covered 
a  group  of  cheerless  and  uninviting  islands  with 
mists  and  fogs  dripping  from  above  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  year.  The  condition  of  Den- 
mark, Germany,  and  France  was  but  little  better. 
There  were  no  cities,  no  bridges,  no  literature. 
Forests  and  marshes  covered  the  face  of  the 
country.  Fierce  savages  rendered  these  regions 
more  dangerous  than  the  wild  beasts.  Paganism 
of  the  grossest  and  stupidest  description  prevailed. 
And  Spain  was  not  much  better  off.  While  Italy 
was  peopled  by  a  race  of  warriors  whose  fierce 
natures  and  sensuous  appetites  were  violently  hos- 


HIYEISAN. 


321 


tile  to  such  curbing  as  the  teachings  of  Christ  in- 
culcated. 

Now  what  is  the  moral  and  spiritual  develop- 
ment of  Europe  to-day  as  compared  with  that  of 
Asia  ?  Is  it  not  immeasurably  superior  ?  Nay,  can 
you  compare  the  moral  and  spiritual  condition  of 
Europe  with  that  of  Asia  at  all  ?  I  think  not.  It 
is  vain  and  foolish  to  attempt  to  argue  that  the 
religion  of  Christ  has  not  accomplished  this  won- 
derful change.  It  is  silly  and  wicked  to  try  to 
confuse  the  Romish  Church  with  Christianity,  and 
then  urge  that  Christianity  has  retarded  the  de- 
velopment of  science  and  of  man's  intellectual  and 
spiritual  nature.  The  religion  of  Christ,  those 
principU-s  enunciated  by  Him,  never  were  antago- 
nistic to  the  development  of  human  knowledge. 
But,  on  the  contrary,  by  purifying  man's  moral 
nature  and  delivering  him  from  the  cloying  ap- 
petites of*  his  animal  being,  these  principles,  when 
conscientiously  practiced,  have  always  tended  to 
elevate  his  spiritual  nature  and  to  give  tone  and 
strength  to  his  intellectual  powers  that  eminently 
fitted  him  for  scientific  research  and  profound  in- 
vestigation. A  consistent  practicing  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  Christianity  invariably  tends  to  develop 
man's  bodily,  mental,  and  spiritual  nature.  A  con- 
sistent practicing  of  Buddhism  deadens  and  dwarfs 
the  bodily,  the  mental,  and  the  spiritual  powers  of 
man  in  a  most  shocking  manner.  In  direct  propor- 
tion as  races  consistently  follow  the  spirit  of  the 
teachings  of  Christ,  in  the  same  ratio  will  they  be- 
st 


32  2  LE  TTEKS  FROM  JAPAN. 

come  elevated  in  their  triple  natures.  This  seems 
to  me  to  be  a  sound  and  logical  conclusion  based 
upon  accurate  facts. 

Therefore  I  say  that  facts  show  that  the  religion  of 
Christ,  or  Christianity  used  in  my  sense,  has  elevated 
those  nations  consistently  practicing  it  infinitely 
above  those  nations  consistently  practicing  Bud- 
dhism, or  the  religion  of  Shaka.  It  is,  therefore,  the 
better  religion,  even  from  this  stand-point  alone.  If 
the  fundamental  principles  of  Buddhism  were  the 
same  as  those  of  Christianity,  they  would  equally 
have  elevated  the  moral  and  spiritual  nature  of  man, 
would  they  not  ?  Those  principles  had  a  keen, 
shrewd,  and  intelligent  race  to  operate  upon.  The 
races  of  Europe  possess  no  faculty  of  mind,  soul,  or 
body  that  the  races  of  Asia  are  not  also  endowed 
with.  The  vast  difference  between  the  European 
nature  and  the  Asiatic  nature  of  to-day  lies  in  the 
fact  that  the  religion  of  Christ  has  demanded  the 
development  of  a  higher  set  of  faculties  and  quali- 
ties than  Buddhism  has  called  for.  A  thousand 
years  spent  in  developing  these  nobler  elements  of 
the  soul  has  resulted  in  the  evolution  of  a  race 
whose  social,  political,  and  moral  instincts  are  so 
infinitely  superior  to  those  of  Asia  that  you  would 
hardly  believe  the  people  of  these  two  continents 
could  have  sprung  from  the  same  stock.  The 
religion  of  Christ  has  shown  itself  to  be  able  to 
elevate  mankind  infinitely  more  than  Buddhism  has 
done.  This  of  itself  would  naturally  lead  even  a 
casual  observer  to  suspect   that   its   fundamental 


HI  Y EI  SAN,  323 

principles  must  be  not  only  superior  to  those  of 
Buddhism  but  also  vastly  different.  And  so  they 
are.     Let  us  compare  them. 

Buddhism  teaches  that  existence  is  undesirable ; 
that  our  appetites  and  passions  should  all  be 
crushed  and  eliminated  ;  that  we  should  strive  to 
attain  Nirvana,  thus  merging  existence  into  anni- 
hilation;  and  that  if  we  do  not  attain  Nirvana,  we 
will  be  compelled  to  endure  ceaseless  cycles  of 
existence.  In  short,  it  teaches  that  existence  is  a 
curse,  and  thus  degrades  every  human  faculty  by 
endeavoring  to  dwarf  and  crush  them  into  nothing- 
ness. If  everybody  put  such  teachings  into  prac- 
tice, mankind  would  be  exterminated  within  a 
generation — for  it  is  the  privilege  and  the  duty  of 
every  Buddhist  to  strive  to  attain  Nirvana.  The 
result  of  such  doctrines  is  the  stultifying  and 
deadening  of  all  human  faculties,  and  the  produc- 
tion of  mild,  ambitionless,  degraded  people. 

Now,  on  the  other  hand,  the  religion  of  Christ 
teaches  that  God  created  man  for  a  life  of  happi- 
ness in  this  world,  and  for  a  life  of  greater  happi- 
ness in  the  world  to  come;  that  He  endowed  us 
with  appetites  and  passions  that  were  to  be  curbed 
and  enjoyed  ;  that  the  proper  regulation  and  en- 
joyment of  them  are  productive  of  physical,  men- 
tal, and  spiritual  development ;  that  Christ  himself, 
the  son  of  God,  was  our  example  in  these  matters, 
and  had  set  forth  principles  and  rules  for  our  guid- 
ance in  these  matters;  and  that  if  we  patterned 
our  lives  after  His,  all  would  be  well. 


324  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Again  :  The  religion  of  Christ  teaches  the  doc- 
trine of  the  atonement,  and  the  doctrine  of  the  re- 
pentance and  remission  of  sins  without  any  earthly 
mediator,  but  by  direct  communion  with  God. 
Shaka  never  taught  any  such  doctrine,  nor  have 
any  of  the  prominent  expounders  of  his  faith  ever 
breathed  or  hinted  at  so  sublime  a  remedy  for 
human  woes.  The  majesty,  the  power,  and  the  in- 
definable beauty  of  this  doctrine  alone  give  Chris- 
tianity a  hold  upon  the  affections  and  sympathies 
of  a  fallen  race  that  the  stony  precepts  of  Shaka 
never  approximated  to  even. 

Again:  The  religion  of  Christ  teaches  that  we 
shall  see  our  Redeemer  in  the  next  life ;  that  we 
shall  know  and  be  known  of  him  ;  that  we  shall  have 
a  conscious,  happy,  and  glorious  existence  through- 
out all  eternity  upon  the  performance  of  certain 
easy  conditions  in  this  life.  Shaka  taught  that  we 
should  be  annihilated.  Whatever  his  disciples  in 
succeeding  centuries  may  have  taught,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  Shaka  himself  inculcated  the  doctrine 
of  annihilation, — Nirvana. 

Again:  The  religion  of  Christ  recognizes  the 
worth,  the  merits,  and  the  virtues  of  woman  in 
a  manner  absolutely  unknown  to  Buddhism.  It 
reaches  with  its  fostering  care  that  half  of  the  hu- 
man race  which  Buddhists  not  only  ignore  but 
treat  with  contempt. 

Again:  The  religion  of  Christ  is  perfect.  It 
was  given  to  us  in  a  perfect  condition.  Nothing 
has  been  added  to  it  in  eighteen  centuries.     Nor 


HIYEISAN.  325 

have  the  culture  and  refinement  of  nearly  two  thou- 
sand years  been  able  to  suggest  any  improvement, 
to  make  any  amendment,  or  to  find  any  defect 
therein.  It  is  perfect, — just  as  we  received  it  from 
the  hands  of  God,  and  just  as  we  should  expect 
God  to  present  a  code  of  morality  to  man.  It 
leaves  no  doubt  as  to  its  origin.  It  emphatically 
and  distinctly  declares  itself  to  be  from  God,  the 
Father.  This  point  is  dwelt  upon  with  great  clear- 
ness, and  is  frequently  repeated.  Its  teachings  meet 
all  human  requirements.  No  emergency  in  life  is 
too  complicated  for  it.  If  consistently  and  intelli- 
gently practiced,  it  will  produce  perfect  happiness 
in  this  life.  On  the  other  hand,  the  religion  of 
Shaka  was  full  of  imperfections.  It  was  fearfully 
vague  and  indefinite.  Its  cardinal  doctrines  were 
annihilation  and  transmigration.  It  had  an  exceed- 
ingly meager  moral  code.  His  followers  have 
patched  up  its  weak  points  in  succeeding  centuries. 
They  have  built  upon  it  an  imperfect  system  of  mo- 
rality. In  a  word,  it  shows  every  possible  trace  of 
its  human  origin.  It  never  claimed  to  be  of  divine 
origin.  His  followers  may  have  made  this  claim  in 
its  behalf,  but  there  is  no  satisfactory  evidence  that 
Shaka  himself  ever  made  any  such  claim.  It  is  ex- 
ceedingly imperfect  and  lamentably  feeble  in  all  its 
details, — ^just  like  human  productions  of  that  de- 
scription. 

Again:  Christ  is  a  clearly  defined  and  distinct 
historical  character.  His  birth,  life,  teachings,  and 
death  are  pictured  with  great  minuteness  and  de- 


326  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

tail.  Four  historians  record  these  facts  without 
any  material  contradiction,  and  the  testimony  of  a 
vast  throng  of  witnesses  is  in  evidence  to  corrobo- 
rate the  substantial  accuracy  of  those  histories. 
He  was  crucified  and  held  up  to  the  gaze  of  the 
world  so  conspicuously  that  none  of  his  followers 
have  ever  attempted  to  question  that  fact,  no  mat- 
ter how  humiliating  and  galling  might  be  the 
heathen  taunt  about  a  God  hung  between  thieves. 
The  existence  and  deeds  of  Christ  are  as  thoroughly 
established  as  those  of  Julius  Caesar. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  Shaka  and  his  deeds  are 
almost  a  myth.  That  he  was  the  son  of  some  Raj 
in  northern  Hindostan, — possibly  near  Benares  or 
Sarnath, — seems  tolerably  well  established  ;  that  he 
taught  the  doctrines  of  annihilation  and  transmi- 
gration seems  pretty  clear ;  and  that  he  died  in 
exile  may,  perhaps,  be  accepted  as  a  fact.  But 
beyond  this,  everything  is  a  mystery.  The  best 
authorities  cannot  make  more  out  of  his  history. 
The  mass  of  legends  woven  around  his  life  by  cen- 
turies of  succeeding  devotees  I  rule  out  of  evi- 
dence. It  is  most  untrustworthy  hearsay.  If  I 
were  to  apply  the  rules  of  evidence  as  strictly  to  the 
historic  proof  of  the  life  and  deeds  of  Shaka  as  I 
apply  them  to  those  of  Christ,  he  would  certainly 
be  a  mythical  personage. 

Again:  But  why  waste  any  more  time?  I 
could  easily  write  a  book  showing  the  world-wide 
difference  between  these  two  great  religions.  But 
it   is  useless  to  try  and  make  any  comparison  be- 


HIYEISAN,  327 

tween  them  at  all.  The  fundamental  principles 
underlying  them  are  as  divergent  as  the  east  is  from 
the  west.  The  religion  of  Christ  is  divine.  That 
of  Shaka  is  a  superb  generalization  of  a  human 
soul  groping  for  the  light.  It  is  the  device  of  a 
sympathetic  nature  striving  to  fathom  the  mys- 
teries of  human  life.  It  is  the  most  ingenious 
theory  ever  propounded  by  mortal  man.  That  is 
all  it  is.  True,  the  votaries  at  its  shrines  encom- 
pass one-third  of  the  population  of  the  globe ; 
but  it  is  fatally  weak  and  deficient  to  meet  the 
moral  requirements  of  mankind  for  all  that.  Nor 
will  another  batch  of  legendary  amendments 
patched  on  to  the  mass  of  stupid  myths  already 
smothering  Shaka's  poor  generalizations  ever  make 
it  equal  to  Christianity.  Strip  off  the  superin- 
cumbent mass  of  devices  that  the  Romish  Church 
attempted  to  tack  upon  Christianity,  and  you  will 
have  the  pure  doctrines  of  the  Gospels.  But  when 
you  strip  off  the  monastic  lore  from  Buddhism, 
what  have  you  ?     Almost  nothing. 

Here  we  have  in  Japan  an  amiable  and  intelli- 
gent race  of  people,  a  people  whose  natural  endow- 
ments are  unsurpassed.  They  have  lived  in  one  of 
the  loveliest  climates  in  the  world,  with  a  bracing 
and  exhilarating  atmosphere.  They  have  been 
surrounded  by  scenery  of  matchless  beauty  and 
magnificence.  And,  for  nearly  fifteen  centuries, 
they  have  been  under  the  influence  of  Buddhism. 
Surely,  if  there  be  any  great  elevating  power  in 
nature  and  in  Buddhism,  it  should  have  raised  the 


328  LE  TTERS  FROM  J  A  PAN. 

Japanese  people  beyond  their  present  level.  Surely 
these  thousands  of  monks,  communing  with  nature 
in  their  sequestered  retreats  for  so  many  centuries, 
ought  to  have  evolved  some  theory  whereby  their 
fellow-men  might  have  been  elevated.  But  they 
have  not  done  so.  This  seems  to  me  to  be  con- 
clusive that  men,  of  themselves,  unaided  by  divine 
revelation,  cannot  rise  to  so  exalted  a  condition 
as  they  can  when  assisted  by  divine  revelation. 
They  at  least  have  never  shown  the  disposition  to 
do  so. 

But  your  Boston  philosopher  triumphantly  an- 
nounces that  because  some  of  the  principles  of 
Christianity  are  found  in  the  teachings  of  modern 
Buddhism  and  in  Confucianism  that,  therefore, 
Christ  was  merely  a  human  reformer  enunciating 
principles  of  human  nature ;  that  there  was  noth- 
ing supernatural  about  it  at  all ;  that  any  human 
being  can  evolve  these  principles  from  his  inner 
consciousness  by  concentrating  his  attention  there- 
on ;  that  because  human  beings  in  Asia  have  enun- 
ciated some  of  the  identical  principles  contained  in 
the  Decalogue  and  in  the  Gospels,  therefore  there 
is  no  reason  why  all  the  principles  of  the  Decalogue 
and  of  the  Gospels  might  not  have  been  evolved  by 
human  beings  in  coming  ages  without  any  super- 
natural aid  or  Divine  Revelation  ;  that  Christ  was 
merely  a  reformer  enunciating  general  principles  of 
human  nature  and  of  human  conduct,  which  same 
principles  undoubtedly  could  have  been  evolved  in 
the   future   by  other   men — because   it   is  in  evi- 


HIYEISAN.  329 

dence  that  some  men  did  actually  evolve  or  enun- 
ciate some  of  those  principles  entirely  by  them- 
selves. 

I  think  I  have  stated  the  philosopher's  argument 
in  full.  Now  let  me  state  my  argument  in  favor 
of  the  theory  that  Christianity  is  of  divine  origin. 

Either  the  universe  came  by  chance,  or  it  was 
the  creation  of  some  intelligent  being.  Now, 
which  is  more  probable,  that  this  infinite  system 
of  revolving  worlds  was  the  work  of  an  intelligent 
creator,  or  that  it  was  merely  a  chance?  Any  one 
who  believes  that  the  universe  came  by  chance  is 
fit  to  believe  anything.  Of  course,  the  universe 
was  created  by  some  intelligent  power.  Now  this 
Creator  formed  man  with  strong  appetites  and  pas- 
sions, and  with  tremendous  moral  powers,  which, 
if  unrestrained  and  unguided,  would  quickly  have 
wrecked  him.  Is  it  not  reasona|^le  to  suppose  that 
he  would  have  given  him  a  moral  code  whereby  he 
might  be  guided  and  elevated?  Certainly.  Of 
course,  it  is  possible  to  conceive  that  a  man  might 
sit  down  and  evolve  these  moral  principles  of  his 
nature  all  by  himself,  just  as  a  boy  might  evolve  in 
the  course  of  years  all  by  himself  the  rules  of  arith- 
metic. But  it  would  be  the  work  of  a  lifetime  in 
all  probability.  Of  course,  there  is  nothing  intel- 
lectually impossible  in  this  conception.  But  the 
probabilities  are  that  it  would  never  be  accom- 
plished by  any  one  alone ;  but  put  an  arithmetic 
into  the  boy's  hand  and  he  will  master  the  science 
very  soon.    Theoretically,  he  might  evolve  every- 


3  2,0  LE  TTERS  FROM  J  A  PAN. 

thing  for  himself,  but  practically  it  would  be  a  pure 
impossibility. 

Just  so  with  the  principles  of  Christianity.  They 
are  all  simple  enough  when  once  enunciated.  There 
is  nothing  intellectually  impossible  in  conceiving 
men  to  be  able  to  evolve  them  unaided  by  divine 
revelation,  but  has  any  one  ever  done  it  ?  The 
united  intellect  of  Japan,  China,  and  India  have 
only  worked  out  a  few  of  them  in  several  thousand 
years,  and  they  might  in  future  cycles  of  time 
evolve  the  balance  of  them  ;  but,  in  the  meantime, 
mark  the  moral  stagnation  of  the  people.  Is  it 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  a  kind  and  merciful 
Creator,  after  forming  man  with  such  tremendous 
moral  powers,  would  have  cast  him  adrift  to  work 
out  the  problems  of  life  with  only  such  principles 
as  he  could  himself  evolve?  What  progress  do 
you  suppose  the  world  would  have  made  ? 

I  believe  Christ  was  divine  because  I  do  not 
think  it  would  have  been  possible  for  any  single 
man  to  evolve  a  perfect  system  of  moral  ethics.  I 
do  not  believe  a  single  man  could  have  evolved, 
within  thirty-three  years,  a  code  of  morality  so  per- 
fect that  the  criticism  of  the  keenest  intellects 
during  eighteen  centuries  has  not  been  able  to 
suggest  a  solitary  amendment  thereto.  None 
of  the  sciences  of  to-day  are  the  work  of  a  single 
individual.  They  are  the  result  of  the  combined 
thought  of  centuries.  When  a  man  has  spent  a 
lifetime  in  evolving  a  single  new  principle  or  law 
we  designate  his  intellect  as  colossal.     We  admire 


HIYEISAN,  331 

and  almost  adore  him.  His  praises  are  sung  from 
generation  to  generation.  Newton  spent  twenty- 
years  in  evolving  a  theory  which  a  school-girl 
can  learn  and  glibly  rattle  off  with  abundant  expla- 
nations within  a  few  hours — to  all  appearances 
thoroughly  comprehending  it.  Euclid  spent  twenty 
years  in  evolving  the  principle  of  a  single  proposition 
which  a  school-girl  can  now  master  in  an  hour  ;  and 
can  eloquently  enunciate  it  as  well  as  the  old  phi- 
losopher himself,  who  deemed  his  labors  worthy  of 
the  sacrifice  of  a  hecatomb  of  oxen. 

We  designate  Euclid  and  Newton  as  colossal  in- 
tellects, and  so  they  were.  And  now  do  you 
believe  that  the  son  of  a  Jewish  carpenter,  sprung 
from  an  ancestry  of  tradesmen,  with  no  educa- 
tional advantages,  could  have  evolved  a  system 
of  moral  ethics  so  perfect  in  every  detail  that  the 
civilization  of  the  nineteenth  century  can  not  find 
a  single  flaw  therein?  If  you  believe  this,  then 
you  can  believe  anything.  I,  for  my  part,  believe 
that  Christ  was  God  incarnate.  I  believe  that  His 
teachings  were  divine  revelations.  Upon  no  other 
hypothesis  can  I  account  for  their  matchless  purity 
and  perfection.  I  deem  them  to  be  divine  reve- 
lations because  such  belief  is  consistent  with  my 
ideas  of  an  intelligent  and  merciful  Creator,  giving 
to  the  helpless  being  that  he  has  endowed  with 
such  tremendous  powers,  a  moral  code  suitable  for 
controlling  his  primitive  nature ;  and,  further,  as 
this  being  attains  to  higher  conditions  of  intellec- 
tual development  and  social  refinement,  such  belief 


332  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

is  consistent  with  my  ideas  of  a  kind  Creator  sup- 
plementing that  primitive  code  with  a  system  of 
moral  ethics  suitable  to  the  complicated  conditions 
of  mankind  in  all  ages  and  among  all  races.  And  I 
know  that  my  belief  in  these  doctrines  has  been  an 
anchor  to  my  soul  in  the  troubled  waters  of  this 
heathen  community,  keeping  me  from  forms  of 
vice  that  I  would  have  yielded  to  had  I  consulted 
merely  my  animal  instincts. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Theopiiilus  Pratt. 


■-^.^  ^t 


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LETTER   XIX. 

SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN. 

Kioto,  Nifvemb^2S,  1877. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus  : 

After  generalizing  upon  facts  derived  from  four 
years*  experience  among  the  Japanese,  I  have  ar- 
rived at  a  number  of  conclusions  that  will  now  be 
submitted  for  your  perusal. 

In  the  first  place,  I  regard  the  Japanese  as  the 
most  genteel  smokers  in  the  world.  The  use  of 
tobacco,  as  indulged  in  by  them,  so  far  from  being 
a  filthy  habit,  is,  in  fact,  an  elegant  accomplish- 
ment. It  is  a  habit  in  which  the  women  can  in- 
dulge with  perfect  propriety.  It  is  not  character- 
ized by  the  disgusting  expectoration  so  common 
with  us.  In  short,  tobacco  smoking,  as  indulged  in 
by  the  Japanese,  is  in  no  sense  a  vice.  We  Saxons 
debase  ourselves  by  our  manner  of  using  the  weed. 
We  are  not  satisfied  with  smoking  it  in  huge  masses, 
but  we  mumble  over  huge  quids  of  it,  and  stuff 
vast  quantities  of  it  up  our  unoffending  nostrils. 
Such  barbarism  in  the  use  of  tobacco  is  unheard  of 
in  Japan.  The  natives  smoke  but  minute  quanti- 
ties of  it  at  a  time.  A  small  pellet  of  it  is  put  into 
a  delicate  pipe,  and  only  a  couple  of  whiffs  are 


334  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

taken  thereof.  That  description  of  Japanese  smok- 
ing, which  characterizes  it  as  "  two  whiffs  and  a 
spit,"  is  accurate  so  far  as  the  whiffing  is  concerned, 
but  is  entirely  inaccurate  as  regards  the  spitting. 

After  his  night's  slumbers,  a  Jap  usually  gives  a 
tremendous  yawn  that  serves  as  a  rising  bell  for  the 
household,  and  brings  forth  his  little  pipe,  whisk- 
ing off  seven  or  eight  whiffs  in  rapid  succession, 
tapping  the  rim  of  the  brazier  between  times  by 
way  of  emphasis.  During  the  day-time  he  will  in- 
dulge in  about  twenty  seasons  of  such  relaxation — 
supplementing  the  original  allowance,  of  course, 
with  additional  puffs  whenever  a  call  is  received  or 
given.  The  entire  amount  smoked  during  a  day 
would  not  equal,  if  compressed,  the  bulk  of  an  or- 
dinary cigar,  or  the  abysmal  capacity  of  a  meer- 
schaum bowl.  Nor  is  the  strength  of  the  tobacco 
the  Japanese  use  to  be  compared  to  the  pungency 
of  the  weed  that  we  employ.  Smoking,  as  thus 
gracefully  and  moderately  indulged  in,  can  never 
injure  the  health. 

Another  advantage  of  the  Japanese  system  of 
smoking  is  the  utter  absence  of  any  offensive  odor 
lingering  about  the  clothing.  I  can  well  remem- 
ber how  my  chum  at  college, — a  most  inveterate 
smoker, — would  scent  up,  not  only  the  clothes 
upon  my  person,  but  also  the  very  bedding  in  the 
room.  And,  for  months  afterward,  the  carpet  and 
the  tablecloth  would  be  impregnated  with  a  stale 
and  rank  smell  that  was  intensely  disagreeable. 
But  I  never  fully  realized  the  vile  barbarism  of  our 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAP  A  N^.  335 

method  of  using  tobacco  until  I  rented  a  Japanese 
house  in  Tokio  and  kept  "  stag  hall  '*  therein  with 
an  Englishman,  who  was  an  inveterate  smoker.  He 
always  affirmed  that  he  never  expectorated  while 
smoking.  Whether  he  was  really  unconscious  of 
any  such  action  on  his  part,  or  was  merely  perpe- 
trating a  grim  joke,  I  can  not  say ;  but  the  condi- 
tion of  the  tatamis  around  the  spittoons,  and  of 
the  shojees  and  well-polished  verandas, — silent  wit- 
nesses of  his  inaccurate  marksmanship, — must  have 
filled  the  inmost  soul  of  our  landlord  with  horror 
and  disgust. 

On  one  occasion,  I  inspected  a  native  house  in 
company  with  the  landlord.  It  had  been  occupied 
by  a  German.  We  went  through  rooms  that  seemed 
to  steadily  become  filthier  as  we  progressed  in 
our  tour.  The  previous  tenant  had  evidently  dis- 
pensed with  the  use  of  spittoons  entirely.  Nicotine 
was  spattered  everywhere  in  indelible  stains.  The 
dining  room,  which  had  evidently  been  the  scene 
of  the  principal  orgies  of  the  fiend  and  his  boon 
companions,  presented  a  scene  that  fetched  a  groan 
from  the  depths  of  the  landlord's  innermost  parts, 
and  fastened  wrinkles  of  disgust  around  the  corners 
of  his  mouth  that  lingered  there  as  long  as  we  were 
on  the  premises,  and  I  know  not  how  long  there- 
after. Verily,  smoking  is  a  social  problem  wherein 
the  balance  of  criticism  is  decidedly  in  favor  of  the 
Japanese. 

But,  regarding  the  use  of  sak^,  I  cannot  speak 
quite  so  favorably  concerning  them.     Drunkenness 


336  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

prevails  throughout  the  empire  in  a  mild  form.  I 
use  the  term  "  mild,"  because  it  certainly  is  mild 
when  compared  with  the  gross  and  bestial  baccha- 
nalian displays  so  common  with  Saxons.  The 
tame  diet  of  the  Japanese  does  not  tend  to  pro- 
duce violent  appetites.  During  the  year,  you  do 
not  often  see  a  drunken  person  on  the  streets.  On 
public  holidays,  however,  and  particularly  around 
New  Year's  Day,  it  seems  to  be  deemed  every- 
body's privilege  to  get  rollicking  drunk.  Lord  and 
vassal,  samurai  and  heimin^  master  and  servant,  in- 
dulge in  sake  until  all  caste  distinction  is  forgotten, 
and  bacchanalian  good-fellowship  characterizes  all 
proceedings.  If  the  master  has  been  kind  during 
the  year,  his  servants  gather  about  him  and  lift 
him  up  in  the  air  half  a  dozen  times  or  so.  This 
elevation  is  supposed  to  be  typical  of  their  high 
esteem.  Some  indulge  in  childish  tricks  upon  each 
other ;  some  reel  around  the  streets  hiccoughing 
forth  barbaric  odes  that  harrow  up  civilized  tym- 
panums immeasurably ;  while  others  assume  a  se- 
date and  prof6und  expression  of  serene  gravity, 
which  ultimately  culminates  in  a  "  boozy  "  slumber. 
Sake  is  strongly  alcoholic  in  its  composition ;  and, 
when  heated,  it  flies  quickly  to  the  head.  The 
Japanese,  however,  drink  it  from  such  small  cups 
that  it  takes  them  some  time  to  get  tipsy  off  it.  The 
Japanese  certainly  are  not  such  swillers  at  drink- 
ing as  Saxons  are.  They  would  gaze  with  amaze- 
ment upon  some  of  our  Germans,  who  swill  down 
daily  their  ten  or  twenty  glasses  of  beer ;  or  upon 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  337 

those  Englishmen  who  use  a  bottle  of  brandy  in  a 
day ;  or  upon  those  Irishmen  who  drain  off  whisky 
as  if  it  were  only  so  much  water.  Yet,  in  the 
course  of  a  year,  a  vast  amount  of  sak^  is  con- 
sumed in  Japan.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  I  am  not 
aware  that  delirium  tremens  is  known  in  the  empire. 
It  is  certain  that  drunkenness  does  not  create  the 
same  havoc  in  Japan  that  it  does  in  Europe  and 
America.  The  reason  for  this  may  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  sak^  is  the  only  liquor  in  the  country,  and 
it  is  by  no  means  pleasant  to  the  taste.  Habitual 
users  of  it  have  informed  me  that  the  only  reason 
they  use  it  is,  not  because  they  like  the  taste,  but 
because  they  love  its  exhilarating  effects. 

Grape  wine,  or  wine  of  any  other  description, 
has  never  been  known  in  Japan.  Beer,  ale,  porter, 
and  brandy  were  never  made.  But  when  these 
various  beverages  are  manufactured  at  prices  that 
will  place  them  at  the  disposal  of  the  people,  I  fear 
the  Japanese  will  be  afflicted  with  intemperance 
to  a  greater  extent  than  they  now  are.  They  love 
the  taste  of  our  sparkling  wines,  and  are  fascinated 
with  their  stimulating  effects.  And,  without  any 
moral  power  to  check  their  appetites,  it  may  be 
feared  that  they  will  speedily  degenerate  into  a 
nation  of  topers.  The  temperance  problem  is  one 
yet  to  be  solved  by  the  Japanese  of  the  future. 

*  But  let  us  now  compare  the  Japanese  race  a 

*  One  of  the  most  common  queries  of  my  pupils  was  :  *'  Master, 
why  is  it  that  your  skin  is  white,  while  ours  is  brown  ?  And  why  is 
it  that  there  should  be  different  races  of  men  ?  "    Not  being  able  to 

22 


338  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

little  more  closely  with  the  Caucasian  race.  After 
that,  we  will  be  in  a  better  position  to  review  some 
of  their  social  characteristics.  It  is  my  belief  that 
all  mankind  sprang  from  Adam  and  Eve,  and  that 
the  present  vast  difference  in  races  is  to  be  attrib- 
uted to  difference  in  climate  primarily  and  chiefly, 
and  to  difference  in  diet  secondarily.  I  do  not 
accept  the  proposition  that  the  remote  progenitors 
of  the  various  races  were  various  species  of  anthro- 
pomorphous apes,  that  had  been  evolved  from  the 
lower  forms  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  preceding 
them  in  those  various  countries.  Nor  do  I  accept 
the  proposition  that  the  various  complexions  of 
the  various  races  of  the  present  time  is  to  be  attrib- 
uted to  the  difference  of  the  constituent  elements 
entering  into  the  composition  of  the  vegetable  and 
animal  life  in  these  various  countries.  Let  us  rea- 
son from  the  logic  of  facts  a  little. 

If  you  expose  yourself  in  the  hot  sun,  you  be- 
come tanned.  If  you  expose  yourself  to  the  severe 
winds  of  winter,  you  become  chapped.  In  either 
case  your  complexion  is  darkened.  But  if  you  stay 
in  the  house  all  the  time,  your  complexion  becomes 
lighter.     These  are  three  universal  and  well  ascer- 

fumish  them  with  any  satisfactory  answer  from  such  scientific  works 
as  I  could  obtain,  I  was  forced  upon  a  line  of  investigation  and  gen- 
eralization based  up>on  facts  derived  from  traveling  and  reading, 
which  resulted  in  the  conclusions  herein  set  forth.  As  the  subject 
is  one  that  is  open  to  much  speculation,  and  is  one  yet  involved  in 
doubt,  I  presume  that  I  may  modestly  submit  my  own  theories  as 
evolved  from  class-room  discussion,  without  kindling  the  wrath  of 
professional  scientists  anchored  to  their  own  pet  deductions. 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  339 

tained  facts.  Generalizing  therefrom,  we  say  that 
extremes  of  temperature  darken  the  complexion, 
heat  making  it  black  and  cold  making  it  reddish. 
Now,  as  the  truth  of  a  hypothesis  is  established 
by  its  coincidence  with  existing  phenomena,  let  us 
compare  the  above  theory  with  existing  geograph- 
ical data.  In  the  torrid  zone,  you  will  find  brown 
and  black  people,  and  in  the  frigid  zones  you  will 
find  reddish-brown  people,  while  in  the  temperate 
zones  you  will  find  white  people,  and  people  whose 
color  approximates  to  white.  But  let  us  go  a  little 
more  into  details.  Follow  the  equator  around  the 
world,  and  you  will  find  the  blackest  people  living 
upon  it  and  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  As  you  leave 
the  equator  and  go  northward  or  southward  toward 
the  temperate  zones,  you  will  find  that  complexions 
become  proportionately  lighter.  The  Eg>'ptian  is 
lighter  than  the  Nubian  ;  the  inhabitants  of  Spain, 
Italy,  and  Greece  are  lighter  than  the  Moor  or  the 
Arab;  while  the  inhabitants  of  northern  Europe 
and  of  the  British  Islands  have  decidedly  lighter 
complexions  than  those  of  southern  Europe.  But 
when  you  go  further  northward  and  reach  the  land 
of  the  Esquimaux,  you  find  the  peculiar  copper 
complexion  produced  by  exposure  to  extreme  cold. 
In  Asia,  the  same  law  holds  true.  The  Arab,  the 
Afghan,  the  Thibetan  and  the  Chinese  are  much 
lighter  in  color  than  the  Hindoo,  the  Singhalese, 
and  the  Malay ;  and,  going  farther  north,  we  find 
the  Tartars  and  the  Japanese  to  be  of  lighter  com- 
plexion than  any  of  those  people  just  enumerated. 


340  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

Many  of  the  Tartars  and  Japanese  are  almost  as 
fair  as  the  Saxons,  some,  indeed,  having  com- 
plexions quite  as  fair.  And,  going  yet  further 
northward,  we  find  the  aborigines  of  Siberia  along 
the  cheerless  seas  of  the  frigid  zones  to  have  a 
copper  complexion. 

The  same  general  law  holds  true  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere.  The  aborigines  on  the  equator  in 
South  America  are  darker  than  the  Red-skins  of 
North  America.  The  present  population  of  Amer- 
ica cannot  be  fairly  cited  to  uphold  my  theory, 
because  they  have  immigrated  from  Europe  at  a 
comparatively  recent  date.  But  the  query  may 
arise  as  to  whether  the  ultimate  complexion  of  the 
people  living  in  the  United  States  will  be  reddish- 
brown,  like  that  of  the  North  American  Indian. 
To  this  query  a  negative  answer  may  safely  be 
given,  for  the  Indians  throughout  the  North 
American  Continent  were  continually  exposed  to 
climatic  changes.  They  were  more  like  animals 
living  in  the  open  air  than  like  human  beings. 
Whatever  the  darkening  tendency  of  exposure  of 
the  skin  to  heat  and  cold  might  have  been,  it  cer- 
tainly had  a  fair  opportunity  to  operate  upon  these 
savages.  But  after  a  few  centuries,  I  think  that 
the  complexion  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Southern 
States  will  be  found  to  be  of  a  tawnier  hue  than 
that  of  their  Northern  brethren. 

Coming  to  Japan,  we  find  our  hypothesis  illus- 
trated with  startling  exactness.  The  heimin  who 
labor  in  the  fields,  and  whose  ancestors  for  many 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  341 

centuries  have  been  thus  exposed  to  the  sun, 
are  darker  in  complexion  than  the  higher  classes. 
The  mercantile  classes  who  for  centuries  have  lived 
in  cities,  dwelling  within  the  shade,  are  lighter  in 
complexion  than  the  peasants,  who  for  centuries 
have  labored  almost  naked  in  the  rice-fields.  The 
fishermen  along  the  coasts  are  also  of  a  darker 
complexion  ;  and  the  samuraiy  who  from  remote 
times  have  taken  their  ease  within  the  shade,  are 
quite  fair  in  complexion,  some  of  them,  indeed, 
being  almost  as  white  as  Saxons.  Some  of  the 
court  ladies,  in  fact,  are  quite  as  white  as  the 
fairest  Saxon. 

So  we  have  here  in  Japan  a  race  like  ourselves; 
a  race  sprung  from  the  same  progenitors,  a  race 
with  precisely  the  same  spiritual,  intellectual,  and 
physical  qualities.  We  have  developed  a  higher 
set  of  faculties,  and  consequently  possess  nobler 
natures.  Our  meat  diet  gives  us  a  finer  physical 
development.  Milk,  butter,  and  meat  give  strength 
and  rotundity  to  the  flesh  and  muscles,  and  a  fresh 
and  plump  appearance  to  the  face.  An  exclusive 
rice  diet  gives  a  sallow  complexion.  Milk,  cheese, 
butter,  beef,  and  mutton  have  never  been  used  by 
the  Japanese  at  all.  There  are  no  goats  in  the 
empire,  and  but  few  cows.  Boiled  rice,  with  the 
merest  nibble  of  meat  and  salt  radish,  has  formed 
the  diet  of  the  masses  of  the  people  for  many  cen- 
turies, and  they  are  a  feeble  race  to-day ;  while  the 
Caucasians  and  the  Tartars,  who  have  lived  on 
meat  and  milk  from  time  immemorial,  are  to-day 


342  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

the  most  vigorous  portion  of  humanity.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  with  several  generations  of  our  diet  the 
Japanese  will  become  in  every  way  our  peers  phys- 
ically. This,  however,  is  a  social  problem  that 
must  be  left  for  time  to  solve. 

The  Japanese  arc  a  very  amative  race.  They  are 
not  licentious  like  the  Turks,  but  are  strongly  in- 
clined to  be  sensuous.  Their  low  diet  has,  to  a 
great  extent,  kept  down  the  grosser  passions  of 
their  nature.  Wc  now  come  face  to  face  with  that 
strange  institution  of  the  feudal  Government  of 
Japan  known  as  the  Yoshkvara  system.  This  was 
a  system  of  legalized  prostitutioa  It  was  not 
only  legalized  but  it  was  under  government  patron- 
age. The  government  support  of  such  an  institu- 
tion has  been  whimsically  accounted  for  by  Darwin 
in  his  Descent  of  Man  on  the  hypothesis  that  the 
government  feared  that  the  Japan  Islands  would 
become  eventually  too  full  of  people,  and  that  they 
therefore  took  this  method  of  keeping  down  the 
population.  But  the  Legacy  of  lyeyas  says  that 
it  was  done  to  restrain  the  passions  of  the  samurai 
within  proper  limits,  so  that  there  need  not  be  end- 
less floggings  to  keep  the  hordes  of  warlike  re- 
tainers in  order.  And  this  is  probably  the  true 
explanation.  Macaulay  says  that  an  Englishman 
and  a  Frenchman  will  reason  to  opposite  conclu- 
sions frequently  from  the  same  fact.  And  it  is  not 
an  uncommon  thing  in  the  realm  of  science  for  two 
minds  to  reason  to  opposite  conclusions  from  the 
same  premises.     One  of  these  conclusions,  however, 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  343 

must  be  an  exceptional  one.  Some  minds  are  fond 
of  reasoning  to  exceptional  conclusions.  It  seems 
to  me  that  Darwin's  mind  was  of  this  order.  He 
showed  it  in  reasoning  about  the  descent  of  man 
from  anthropomorphous  apes.  Given  the  facts  that 
the  physical  structure  of  animals  bears  a  striking 
resemblance  to  that  of  man,  and  that  man  seems 
to  be  a  later  production,  Darwin  prefers  the  con- 
clusion that  man  was  evolved  from  lower  animal 
forms  during  countless  ages  instead  of  the  conclu- 
sion that  these  facts  argue  that  all  creatures  Were 
made  upon  the  same  general  plan  by  the  same  Cre- 
ator. 

The  Yoshiwara  system  was  undoubtedly  the  pro- 
dilction  of  feudal  licentiousness.  With  three 
millions  of  fierce  samurai  to  control,,  it  was  no 
wonder  that  the  Tokugawas  should  have  hit  upon 
this  low  method  of  curbing  the  violent  natures  of 
their  retainers.  What  better  method  had  they  ? 
Neither  Shintoism  nor  Buddhism  furnished  any 
adequate  moral  check  upon  the  passions  of  the 
military  classes.  They  therefore  developed  the 
Yoshhvara  system  all  over  the  empire.  And  the 
Daimios  of  the  provinces  heartily  indorsed  the 
system  and  laid  out  "worm-eaten  spots"  in  all 
their  capitals  and  great  cities.  Much  money  was 
lavished  upon  these  foul  localities  and  they  were 
made  attractive  hells.  Vice  was  there  made  to 
appear  in  its  most  seductive  forms.  Luxury  and 
refinement  were  impressed  into  the  service  of  this 
wretched   avocation.     The   misery  of   the   human 


344  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

soul  was  stifled  and  soothed  by  elegant  surround- 
ings, and  a  tolerant  and  condoning  social  senti- 
ment made  it  reputable  for  persons  of  good  fami- 
lies to  take  wives  from  the  Yoshiwara,  and  for 
mothers  to  sell  their  daughters  to  the  proprietors 
of  the  brothels. 

The  history  of  the  Yoshiwara  system  is  inter- 
woven with  tales  of  the  wildest  debauch,  of  the  black- 
est despair,  and  of  the  most  romantic  and  hopeless 
love.  The  brave  youth  from  the  provinces,  where 
valor  is  yet  a  virtue,  is  smitten  with  the  subtle  in- 
fluence and  wrecks  his  fortune  and  his  health  upon 
some  coquetting  courtesan  who  soon  bestows  upon 
another  victim  the  withering  spell  of  her  hellish 
charms.  And  now  the  wanton  and  beautiful  wretch 
is  herself  ensnared.  She,  upon  whose  smiles  the 
bloods  of  the  town  fondly  linger,  becomes  touched 
with  the  fire  that  burns  the  heart ;  and,  realizing 
the  fearful  position  in  which  she  has  been  placed, 
immolates  herself  upon  the  shrine  of  hopeless  love, 
and  tinges  the  scandal  of  the  town  with  melancholy 
tales  of  her  blighted  passion.  In  such  a  social 
atmosphere  was  the  young  samurai  brought  up. 
What  wonder  that  they  degenerated  into  a  class  of 
reckless  libertines  ?  The  only  marvel  to  me  is  that 
there  was  any  virtue  at  all  left  among  the  people. 
That  wonderful  provision  of  Providence,  known  as 
the  Natural  Religion,  has  truly  kept  this  people 
from  degenerating  into  a  race  of  voluptuous 
imbeciles. 

Coming   now   to    the    social    condition    of    the 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN,  345 

Japanese,  I  consider  it  safe  to  say  that  the  relative 
position  of  the  sexes  is  about  the  same  as  it  is  in 
all  countries.  I  am  old-fashioned  enough  to  be- 
lieve that  God  created  mankind  in  accordance  with 
certain  general  laws  that  can  not  be  changed  by  us. 
It  seems  manifest  to  me  that  He  made  man  to  be 
the  unit  of  political  power,  and  woman  to  be  the 
unit  of  social  power.  He  has  made  man  to  be  the 
aggressive,  the  progressive,  the  governing  power  in 
the  world.  He  has  made  woman  to  be  the  conserv- 
ative and  refining  power  in  the  world.  It  is  man's 
nature  to  be  democratic  and  liberal.  It  is  woman's 
nature  to  be  fond  of  social  distinctions,  to  be  aris- 
tocratic. It  is  man's  nature  to  compete  and  con- 
tend not  only  with  his  fellow-man,  but  also  with 
Nature  herself.  Following  this  impulse,  he  has 
developed  all  the  political  institutions  of  the  world, 
and  has  also  covered  the  globe  with  cities,  rail- 
roads, navies,  and  productive  fields.  But  it  is 
woman's  nature  to  shrink  from  contest  and  to  en- 
twine her  affections  around  those  she  loves  with 
engrossing  and  tender  devotion.  She  has  filled  the 
world  with  homes,  with  sweet  and  tender  recollec- 
tions,with  elevated  sentiment  and  religious  impulses. 
She  has  been  the  friend,  the  companion,  and  the 
affectionate  counsellor  of  man  in  all  ages  and  in  all 
countries.  This  relative  position  of  the  sexes  pre- 
vails all  over  the  world.  Wherever  the  condition 
of  woman  is  degraded,  there  also  is  the  condition 
of  man  correspondingly  low.  And  wherever  the 
condition  of  woman  is  elevated,  there  is  the  position 


346  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

of  man  correspondingly  high.  But  their  relative 
positions  are  always  about  the  same.  Man  is  al- 
ways the  progressive,  the  aggressive,  the  governing 
power  ;  woman  is  as  generally  the  conservative,  the 
refining  power.  Mankind  cannot  change  this  rela- 
tive position  of  the  sexes.  By  the  force  of  our 
natures  wc  must  act  out  our  respective  parts  until 
some  greater  power  shall  otherwise  ordain. 

I  hate  and  despise  the  tendency  in  England  and 
America  to  antagonize  the  sexes.  Those  female 
agitators,  who  endeavor  to  make  their  sisters  dis- 
satisfied with  their  lot,  and  who  proclaim  that  man 
is  but  a  usurper  who  has  violently  seized  upon  the 
more  desirable  positions  in  life,  and  has  forced 
woman  into  less  desirable,  and  inferior  positions, 
arc  but  insulting  the  dignity  of  their  own  sex. 
That  which  God  has  ordaintd,  call  thou  not  inferior. 
Each  position  is  highly  honorable.  Neither  is  in- 
ferior. Neither  is  superior.  The  world  cannot 
afford  to  lose  the  gentle  qualities  of  women,  for 
there  is  nothing  in  the  masculine  nature  that  can 
replace  those  qualities. 

While  in  Japan  woman  has  always  been  the 
friend,  and  the  companion  of  man,  and  has  been 
the  mother  of  the  rising  generations,  man,  on  the 
other  hand,  has  always  been  the  governing  power. 
He  did  not  usurp  anybody's  right.  He  was  dele- 
gated by  the  Creator  to  be  the  controlling  force. 
He  has  founded  the  political  institutions  of  the 
empire ;  he  has  built  the  cities  and  the  navies  of 
the  realm ;  the  bridges,  the  highways,  the  temples, 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  347 

are  all  the  work  of  his  hands.  All  the  textile  man- 
ufactures, the  matchless  embroideries,  the  lovely 
lacquer  ware,  the  exquisite  porcelains,  the  magnifi- 
cent bronzes,  the  intricate  carvings,  are  his  produc- 
tions. The  carpenters,  the  masons,  the  stone-cutters, 
the  blacksmiths,  the  artisans  of  every  description, 
have  always  been  men.  All  the  severe  labor  that 
has  reclaimed  the  land  of  this  empire  from  waste 
and  desolation,  and  has  made  it  into  a  vast  and 
lovely  garden,  was  performed  by  men.  And  the 
immense  annual  expenditure  of  toil  and  patience 
that  is  now  required  to  keep  these  millions  of  acres 
under  a  state  of  cultivation,  is  furnished  by  men, 
and  bear  in  mind  that  all  this  is  done  without  any 
claim  of  superiority  on  the  part  of  the  men.  The 
Creator  has  designed  them  for  this  work,  and  by 
the  force  of  circumstances  they  naturally  and  cheer- 
fully obey  the  hidden  power  that  controls  them 
without  ever  thinking  of  sounding  their  own  praises 
for  so  doing. 

Generally  speaking,  the  Japanese  men  make  kind 
and  affectionate  husbands  ;  and  the  women  make 
virtuous  and  exemplary  wives  and  mothers  ;  and 
the  children  are  certainly  the  happiest  little  imps 
in  the  world ;  their  parents  fondle  and  spoil  them 
most  effectually,  and,  at  the  same  time,  never  lose 
their  control  over  them.  The  non-irritating  nature 
of  the  native  diet  has  much  to  do  with  such  serene 
nerves  and  temperaments.  I  have  never  seen  a 
child  whipped  in  Japan;  on  three  or  four  occasions 
I  have  seen  a  reproving  mother  administer  a  mild 


348  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

slap    over   the   head,  which   correction   invariably 
brings  the  little  recalcitrants  to  order. 

The  husband  has  absolute  control  over  the  person 
of  his  wife  ;  at  the  same  time,  I  have  never  seen  a 
man  strike  a  woman  in  Japan,  yet  I  believe  that 
there  is  considerable  pinching  and  slapping  done 
on  occasions  when  those  strange  and  ungovernable 
spells  of  exasperating  ugliness,  known  as  tantrums, 
settle  down  upon  their  matrimonial  horizon.  On 
these  occasions  there  is  considerable  free  hitting, 
biting,  and  scratching  indulged  in  on  both  sides  of 
the  house  ;  but  the  greater  strength  of  the  husband 
invariably  leaves  him  master  of  the  situation,  and 
the  belligerent  household  speedily  resumes  its  se- 
rene and  happy  course.  On  such  occasions,  unless 
physical  force  were  resorted  to,  it  would  be  difficult 
to  say  where  matters  would  end  ;  for  the  women 
are  very  childish,  and,  in  their  paroxysms  of  fury, 
might  speedily  demolish  the  household,  unless  re- 
strained. These  family  jars  arc  not  of  frequent 
occurrence,  but  they  make  up  in  intensity  for  their 
rarity. 

It  is  far  more  common  for  women  to  quarrel  with 
each  other  than  for  husbands  and  wives  to  quarrel. 
I  was  once  passing  down  a  village  street  when  I 
heard  a  tremendous  commotion.  Two  women, 
upon  opposite  sides  of  a  street,  were  railing  at  each 
other  at  the  rate  of  about  sixty  miles  an  hour. 
The  atmosphere  fairly  glowed  with  vituperation. 
I  arrived  upon  the  scene  just  as  they  rushed  at 
each  other,  spitting,  scratching,  and  biting  like  a 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  349 

couple  of  furious  cats.  They  were  clawing  each 
other  in  terrible  earnest  when  the  husband  of  one 
of  the  combatants  rushed  upon  them  and  tore 
them  apart,  hurling  one  of  them  to  one  side  of  the 
street  and  the  other  one  to  the  other  side,  where 
they  respectively  glared  at  each  other  awhile  and 
then  cooled  down.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were 
quietly  discussing  the  misunderstanding  and  were, 
to  all  appearances,  upon  amicable  terms. 

When  I  was  living  in  Tokio  I  became  acquainted 
with  an  occurrence  that  was  shocking  yet  unavoid- 
able. We  were  keeping  house  in  Ban-cho.  Our 
cook  lived  with  his  wife  in  a  distant  wing  of  the 
house.  His  lady  persisted  in  bathing  during  the 
summer  in  our  front  yard.  We  instructed  our 
cook  that  this  scandalous  proceeding  must  be 
stopped  as  we  did  not  care  to  have  our  visitors 
confronted  with  any  such  spectacle.  He  accord- 
ingly ordered  her  to  desist  from  using  our  garden 
as  a  bath-room.  But,  behold  !  next  day  found  her 
again  bathing  in  the  shrubbery.  We  complained 
to  the  cook  at  once,  and  he  said  he  would  see  that 
it  did  not  happen  again.  We  soon  heard  a  fearful 
scream.  The  cook  quietly  came  into  our  parlor 
holding  in  his  hand  a  hoc  handle,  with  which  he 
had  crept  up  behind  his  unsuspecting  spouse  and 
had  inflicted  a  terrible  blow  upon  her  bare  back. 
He  said  that  he  did  not  think  we  would  be  again 
annoyed  by  his  wife,  but  that,  if  we  were,  to  report 
immediately  and  he  would  make  her  "  eat  stick" 
without  limit.      We   felt   like   making   him   "  eat 


350  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

stick  "  for  the  balance  of  the  day.  But,  upon  sober 
thought,  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  nothing 
could  be  done  except  to  forbid  any  further  per- 
sonal chastisement  upon  our  premises.  What  can 
you  possibly  do  with  such  people?  They  are 
mere  children.  Yet,  while  all  this  sounds  very  hor- 
rible, and  we  feel  inclined  to  hold  up  our  hands 
and  denounce  such  barbarism,  we  should  modestly 
bear  in  mind  that  we  do  not  need  to  go  back  very 
far  in  English  history  to  find  that  women  were 
nearly  drowned  in  ducking  stools,  and  were  flogged 
upon  the  bare  back  through  the  streets.  Truly  we 
live  in  a  strange  world  !  And  the  incongruities 
of  the  nineteenth  century  are  the  strangest  part 
of  it. 

You  may  easily  infer  that  the  question  of  Woman 
Suffrage  has  not  yet  agitated  Japan.  This  ques- 
tion cannot  arise  until  the  question  of  popular 
enfranchisment  is  up  for  discussion.  At  present, 
no  one  in  Japan  has  the  right  of  suffrage.  The 
emperor  and  his  cabinet  rule  with  absolute  power. 
In  a  few  years,  however,  there  will  undoubtedly 
be  some  sort  of  Parliament  or  Congress  convened. 
Then  will  there  be  limited  suffrage  in  some  shape 
or  other,  after  which  it  may  be  safely  presumed 
that  universal  male  suffrage  will  gradually  be 
adopted.  Then  will  the  people  be  in  the  interest- 
ing position  to  discuss  female  suffrage.  I  appre- 
hend, however,  that  by  that  time  the  general  dis- 
inclination and  inaptitude  of  women  for  political 
life  will  be  so  clearly  demonstrated  in  Europe  and 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN,  351 

America  that  the  Japanese  will  be  relieved  from 
any  violent  commotion  on  this  subject.  But  it  will 
be  interesting,  nevertheless,  to  briefly  review  some 
of  the  pet  arguments  advanced  in  favor  of  Woman 
Suffrage  in  Europe  and  America,  and  to  see  how 
they  will  fit  Japan.  I  am  constrained  to  stir  up 
this  hornets'  nest  because  of  the  fire-brand  that 
you  inconsiderately  hurled  at  me  last  month, 
through  the  medium  of  the  United  States  mail,  in 
the  shape  of  a  pamphlet  written  by  a  rabid  agitator 
of  the  opposite  sex,  whose  bitter  denunciations, 
aimed  at  the  sex  to  which  I  have  the  misfortune  to 
belong,  placed  me  under  a  cloud  of  humility  from 
which  I  am  now  but  timidly  emerging.  You  will 
therefore  kindly  make  allowance  for  my  demoral- 
ized condition,  and  you  will  excuse  any  heresy 
that  may  chance  to  crop  out  in  my  very  humble 
opinions.  One  favorite  argument  in  favor  of 
Woman  Suffrage  is  that  there  should  be  no  tax- 
ation without  representation.  It  is  urged  that 
women  hold  property,  and  pay  taxes  on  property, 
and  yet  do  not  have  any  voice  in  making  the  laws 
of  the  country.  There  is  a  plausible  revolu- 
tionary ring  about  this  argument  that  is,  at  first, 
very  catching.  But  a  close  inspection  will  reveal 
its  fallacy  and  speciousness.  It  is  quite  true  that 
women  holding  property  are  compelled  to  pay 
taxes  thereon.  And  this  is  quite  just  and  reason- 
able, because  this  property  is  protected  both  in 
times  of  peace  and  in  times  of  war  by  the  civil  and 
military  power  of  the  State.  This  power  of  the  State 


352  LETTERS  FROM  JAP  A  N^. 

is  based  upon  masculine  force.  By  means  of  this 
masculine  force,  order  is  maintained,  enemies  are 
kept  away,  and  the  property  becomes  enriched 
and  enhanced  in  value  by  the  peaceful  and  bene- 
ficial influence  of  a  civilized  community.  Such  fa- 
vorable conditions  would  not  exist  in  turmoil  and 
war.  Masculine  force  is  the  power  that  keeps  the 
peace.  This  service  must  be  paid  for  by  property, 
whether  owned  by  man  or  woman.  This  general 
principle  holds  quite  as  fast  in  Japan  as  in  other 
parts  of  the  world 

It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  number 
of  women  holding  property  is  very  small  when 
compared  with  the  number  of  men  holding  prop- 
erty. Men  are,  and  have  always  been,  the  accu- 
mulators, the  originators,  the  makers  of  property. 
It  is  a  rare  thing  for  women  to  accumulate  or  make 
property.  Other  and  more  important  duties 
demand  their  attention.  Almost  all  the  female 
property  holders  in  the  world  have  been  fortunate 
enough  to  inherit  their  wealth  from  male  kindred, 
who,  perhaps,  have  spent  years  of  severe  toil  in 
accumulating  it  ;  and  they  must  take  the  property 
with  its  incumbrances  as  well  as  v/ith  its  benefits. 
They  are  at  full  liberty  to  revel  in  its  princely 
revenues,  which  they  have  done  nothing  to  earn. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  they  must  also  pay  the 
annual  tax  that  the  Board  of  Assessors  placed  op- 
posite to  it  when  it  was  held  by  father,  husband, 
brother,  or  uncle.  It  is  the  property  that  is  taxed, 
not  the  individual.     If  the  property  comes  to  her 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN,  353 

incumbered  with  mortgages,  tax-arrears,  or  other 
debts  of  her  father,  she  must  pay  off  these  Habili- 
ties  or  the  property  will  be  auctioned  off  by  the 
creditors.  Property  is  taxed  irrespective  of  the 
sex  of  the  party  holding  the  title  deeds. 

Now,  if  the  vast  mass  of  property  in  this  world 
had  been  accumulated  by  women,  there  would  be 
some  justice  in  the  claim  that  they  should  have  a 
voice  in  legislation  affecting  it.  But  almost  all 
the  property  in  this  world  has  been  accumulated 
by  men.  They  are  the  busy  workers  who  have 
developed  the  resources  of  the  earth.  Women 
rarely  accumulate  property,  as  they  were  not  de- 
signed to  compete,  to  struggle,  to  concentrate  all 
their  thoughts  and  efforts  on  such  things.  They 
have  neither  the  time  nor  the  inclination  for  severe 
and  laborious  application  in  pursuit  of  wealth. 
Now  men  have  made  equitable  laws  regulating 
property  in  general.  These  laws  are  just  and  im- 
partial, and  do  not  unjustly  discriminate  against 
property  held  by  women.  Therefore  I  fail  to  see 
why  universal  suffrage  should  be  granted  to  women 
because  a  few  of  their  more  fortunate  sisters  have 
inherited  from  their  male  kindred  a  certain  amount 
of  property,  which,  in  the  course  of  time,  will 
probably  revert  by  inheritance  to  some  male 
kinsman,  or  will  be  gradually  reabsorbed  by  male 
competitors  in  the  vicissitudes  of  trade.  Suffrage 
should  be  based  upon  some  general  law  in  nature, 
not  upon  exceptions.  This  observation  will  also 
be  found  to  be  applicable  to  Japan. 
23 


354  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

Furthermore,  legislation  is  powerless  and  absurd 
without  the  ability  to  enforce  its  mandates.  The 
power  that  enforces  laws  should  be  the  power  to 
make  laws.  Man  is  the  power  that  enforces  laws 
in  this  world.  Therefore  I  fail  to  see  why  the  bas- 
ing of  suffrage  upon  man  as  the  unit  of  political 
power  is  not  a  correct  general  principle.  To  illus- 
trate our  theory,  let  us  suppose  that  universal  male 
and  female  suffrage  prevails  in  the  United  States. 
Suppose  that  all  the  women  vote  to  have  a  mon- 
archical form  of  government,  and  that  all  the  men 
vote  to  have  a  republican  form  of  government. 
The  women,  although  outnumbering  the  men, 
could  not  enforce  their  wish  against  the  men 
through  lack  of  power.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  if 
all  the  men  were  to  vote  in  favor  of  a  monarchical 
form  of  government,  and  all  the  women  were  to 
vote  in  favor  of  a  republican  form  of  government, 
the  men  could  readily  enforce  their  wish  in  the 
matter. 

Men,  as  a  matter  of  courtesy,  may  unite  and 
agree  to  give  women  equal  right  of  suffrage  with 
themselves.  But  this  would  not  increase  the  en- 
forcing power  of  the  state  at  all.  Paper  money 
has  a  purchasing  power  when  it  represents  gold 
and  silver.  Let  the  bullion  cease  to  exist,  how- 
ever, and  where  would  be  the  purchasing  power  of 
your  paper  money?  If  you  issue  twice  as  many 
bills  as  there  is  specie  in  the  country,  you  reduce 
their  purchasing  power  by  one-half.  In  precisely 
the  same  manner  a  paper  ballot  represents  the  po- 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  355 

litical  unit  behind  it.  If  the  voice  of  the  ballot-box 
be  disobeyed,  you  call  out  your  police  forces  and 
your  armies  and  enforce  its  mandate.  Man  is  the 
power,  the  coercive  force,  in  the  state.  Without 
that  implied  coercive  force,  your  laws  become  inef- 
fective and  ridiculous.  Women  may  meet  in  legis- 
lative halls  and  pass  resolutions  and  formulate  de- 
crees at  pleasure,  but  it  is  man  that  they  call  upon 
to  destroy  the  trespassing  rat  that  is  carrying  con- 
sternation into  their  ranks  and  disturbing  the  legis- 
lative equipioise  of  their  deliberations. 

To  increase  the  number  of  ballots  in  the  box  will 
not  necessarily  increase  the  coercive  power  in  the 
state.  Men  may  grant  the  privilege  of  casting 
these  ballots  to  their  mothers,  sisters,  wives,  and 
daughters,  under  the  mistaken  notion  that  they  are 
merely  conferring  a  right.  But,  in  reality,  they  are 
sharing  their  birthright  as  a  matter  of  courtesy 
with  their  families  without  realizing  that  they  are 
disturbing  the  political  equipoise  of  the  land,  and 
are  opening  the  door  for  dangerous  and  humiliat- 
ing complications. 

Another  argument  that  has  been  advanced  in 
favor  of  Woman  Suffrage  is  that  woman  will  purify 
the  ballot-box.  Inasmuch  as  there  are  nearly  as 
many  bad  women  in  the  world  as  there  are  bad 
men,  and  as  woman  does  not  appear  to  have 
cleansed  society  from  its  many  evils  in  the  course 
of  several  thousand  years — the  realm  where  they 
reign  supreme — it  is  quite  incomprehensible  to  me 
how  they  will  do  any   better  at  purifying  ballot- 


356  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

boxes.  For  you  can  not  discriminate  in  this  mat- 
ter and  give  the  right  of  suffrage  to  the  virtuous 
women  alone,  but  you  must  confer  this  right  on  all 
women  alike.  And  I  can  assure  you  that  I  would 
prefer  life  in  a  pagan  country  to  going  up  to  the 
ballot-box  in  company  with  a  gang  of  drunken, 
cursing  women  on  election  day.  Bad  men  are 
disagreeable  enough  on  such  occasions  ;  but  may 
Providence  spare  us  from  bad  women  ! 

The  fact  is,  that  if  woman  had  been  designed  to 
exercise  the  right  of  suffrage  she  would  have  exer- 
cised it  long  before  our  day.  And,  if  she  has  not 
been  designed  to  exercise  the  right  of  suffrage,  all 
the  legislation  in  the  world  will  not  create  in  her 
any  inclination  or  aptitude  for  it  either  in  Japan  or 
anywhere  else.  I  have  no  patience  with  those 
women  who  neglect  and  ignore  those  feminine 
qualities  without  which  the  world  would  be  badly 
off  indeed  ;  who  degrade  their  own  sex  by  perpet- 
ually striving  to  be  masculine  in  sentiment  and 
deed,  and  the  burden  of  whose  complaint  seems  to 
be  a  protest  against  God  for  not  having  created 
them  as  men.  I  do  not  like  to  see  these  agitators 
slighting  so  large  a  portion  of  the  human  race. 

Leaving,  now,  this  great  question  of  Woman 
Suffrage  to  be  settled  by  the  good  sense  of  future 
Japan,  we  will  briefly  consider  in  conclusion  the 
complicated  and  troublesome  question  of  Capital 
and  Labor  in  Japan. 

Under  the  feudal  system  this  was  a  very  simple 
question.     The  three  great  divisions  of  society — 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  357 

the  samurai,  the  tradesmen  (merchants  and  arti- 
sans), and  the  peasantry,  were  separated  by  un- 
yielding barriers.  The  samurai  formed  the  aris- 
tocracy; the  tradesmen  dwelt  in  the  cities  and 
towns  ;  the  peasantry  were  the  country  folks.  In 
a  population  of  about  thirty  millions,  it  is  fair  to 
estimate  the  samurai  at  about  three  millions,  the 
tradesmen  at  about  fifteen  millions,  and  the  peas- 
antry at  about  twelve  millions.  Centuries  of  cul- 
ture and  refinement,  centuries  of  affluence  and 
power,  centuries  of  privilege  and  political  pre- 
rogative, had  been  thrown  around  the  samurai, 
until  the  laws  of  heredity  had  developed  features 
that  were  expressive  of  noble  emotions  and  a  de- 
portment typical  of  dash  and  politeness.  They 
looked  upon  the  tradesmen  with  supercilious  con- 
descension, and  upon  the  peasantry  with  supreme 
scorn.  While  a  marriage  between  an  impecunious 
samurai  and  the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  merchant 
might  be  tolerated,  it  was  impossible  for  a  samurai 
to  marry  into  the  family  of  a  peasant.  These  two 
classes  have  been  distinct  for  so  many  centuries 
that,  as  regards  tastes,  disposition,  and  language, 
they  are  almost  as  dissimilar  as  different  races. 
The  coarse  patois  of  the  tillers  of  the  fields  is  fre- 
quently unintelligible  to  the  samurai ;  while  the 
high-flown  diction  of  the  samurai,  abundantly  in- 
terspersed with  Chinese  words  and  with  endless 
honorifics,  and  containing  long  sentences  padded  to 
death  with  verbiage  and  circumlocutory  phrases, 
was  utterly  unintelligible  to  the  peasantry.     Com- 


358  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

munication  between  the  two  classes  was  almost 
entirely  cut  off.  The  profoundest  respect  was  ex- 
pected from  the  peasantry.  Whenever  a  samurai 
passed  along  the  highway,  the  peasant  must  re- 
move his  head-cloth  and  get  off  from  his  beast  of 
burden. 

On  the  other  hand,  what  was  the  condition  of 
the  peasantry  ?  Centuries  of  oppression  had  pro- 
duced a  race  of  inoffensive  and  amiable  boors.  The 
baby,  tumbling  around  upon  the  tatamis  in  the 
hamlet,  was  destined  to  develop  into  a  low-browed, 
plodding  peasant,  destitute  of  any  ambition  or 
noble  sentiment.  How  could  it  have  been  other- 
wise? Centuries  of  monotonous  diet,  centuries  of 
unvarying  routine  of  daily  occupation,  have  pro- 
duced an  uninteresting  similarity  of  traits  in  all  the 
peasantry  throughout  the  empire.  And  these  cir- 
cumstances have  really  developed  a  distinct  class 
of  people,  having  coarse  features,  base  natures,  and 
cringing  dispositions.  They  have  never  enjoyed  edu- 
cational advantages  of  any  description.  They  have 
had  no  social  advantages.  Nor  have  they  ever, 
from  the  remotest  times,  been  favored  with  any 
political  power  or  privilege.  Nothing  but  their 
animal  instincts  have  been  developed.  No  matter 
in  what  part  of  the  empire  you  may  be  traveling, 
you  can  always  single  out  the  peasantry  because  of 
their  hereditary  traits.  For  over  a  thousand  years 
they  have  been  the  tillers  of  the  soil,  the  hewers  of 
wood,  the  bearers  of  burdens.  Nobody  has  ever 
encouraged  them  to  develop  the  higher  instincts  of 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAM.  359 

their  souls.  None  of  the  nobler  faculties  of  their 
minds  have  ever  been  cultivated,  if,  indeed,  they 
have  ever  been  credited  with  possessing  any  such 
faculties  at  all.  As  a  natural  result  of  this  course 
of  treatment  they  are  to-day  ignorant,  superstitious, 
and  coarse.  Yet  they  are  industrious  and  frugal  in 
their  habits,  amiable  and  docile  in  disposition,  and 
exceedingly  patient  and  submissive.  But  they  are 
also  very  obstinate  in  adhering  to  their  own  ideas 
and  customs,  and,  consequently,  do  not  become 
ready  converts  to  civilized  innovations.  Their 
credulity  and  superstition  are  very  strong.  The 
grossest  myths  to  be  found  within  the  creeds  of 
the  realm  have  always  found  them  to  be  staunch 
votaries.  They  were,  in  fact,  but  serfs  cultivating 
the  ground  for  their  feudal  lords,  and  their  condi- 
tion does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  better  than 
the  condition  of  the  serfs  in  Europe  during  feudal 
times. 

Midway  between  these  two  classes  come  the 
merchants  and  artisans.  Like  the  middle  classes 
in  all  countries  they  formed  the  backbone  of  the 
country.  They  were  more  refined  than  the  peas- 
antry, having  possessed  for  centuries  better  educa- 
tional facilities  than  the  poor  sons  of  the  soil. 
Their  very  occupations  were  a  continual  means  of 
education.  They  did  not  possess  the  daring  and 
the  polish  of  the  samurai^  but  they  were  intelligent 
and  enterprising.  They  did  not  possess  the  ambi- 
tionless  natures  of  the  peasantry,  yet  they  were 
thoroughly  submissive,  and  paid  cringing  deference 


360  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

to  the  samurai.  While  not  vacillating  and  cynical  in 
their  religious  beliefs,  yet  were  they  not  as  grossly 
ignorant  and  superstitious  as  the  peasantry.  Nor 
were  they  characterized  by  that  reckless  prodigality 
and  extravagant  wastefulness  that  seem  to  accom- 
pany the  leisured  classes  everywhere,  but  they 
were  frugal,  prudent,  cautious,  and  conservative. 
For  centuries  their  occupations  have  been  hered- 
itary, until  the  peculiar  traits  of  their  trades  seem 
to  have  impressed  themselves  to  a  certain  extent 
upon  their  natures. 

Under  the  old  feudal  system,  the  capital  of  the 
country  centered  in  the  hands  of  the  feudal  lords, 
the  samurai y  and  the  high-grade  merchants.  Prac- 
tically the  Shogun  and  the  Daimios  controlled  the 
capital  of  the  entire  nation.  The  produce  of  the 
land  belonged  to  them.  Rice  was  the  medium  of 
exchange.  It  was  known  how  many  kokus,  or 
bushels  of  rice,  each  Daimiate  was  capable  of  pro- 
ducing. A  certain  percentage  of  this  was  claimed 
by  the  Shogun  as  tribute.  A  bare  pittance  was  set 
apart  for  the  cultivators  thereof,  and  the  balance 
went  to  the  Daimios  who  pensioned  their  hordes 
of  samurai  with  immense  quantities  of  it,  and 
stored  the  balance  in  their  warehouses  to  purchase 
services  and  merchandise  from  the  artisans  and 
merchants.  Their  magnificent  collections  of  silks, 
porcelains,  bronzes,  and  lacquerware  were  paid  for 
out  of  this  reserve  fund  ;  and  as  they  thus  held  the 
necessary  of  life,  they  were  in  a  position  to  drive 
very  one-sided  bargains  with  the  helpless  trades- 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  36 1 

men.  When  in  special  need  of  hard  cash,  they 
would  set  their  own  valuation  upon  the  rice,  and 
intimate  irresistibly  to  some  rich  merchant  their 
wish  that  he  should  purchase  it  at  that  price. 
These  dignitaries  had  practically  "  cornered  "  all  of 
that  article  within  the  four  seas  of  Japan.  The 
masses  were  helpless.  It  would  be  difficult  to  con- 
ceive of  a  more  absolute  oligarchy.  Labor  was 
completely  at  their  mercy ;  they  dictated  whatso- 
ever terms  they  chose,  and  those  terms  were  the 
bare  existence  of  the  laboring  classes.  Labor  was 
looked  upon  by  the  samurai  with  absolute  con- 
tempt. It  was  degraded  and  despised  as  only 
effete  aristocracies  can  despise  it.  The  laboring 
people  were  poor  beyond  our  conception.  It  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  that,  on  an  average,  twenty 
millions  out  of  thirty  millions  of  the  population 
lived  on  less  than  five  dollars  per  month,  and  that 
the  average  laborer  lived  on  less  than  three  dollars 
per  month.  Rice  and  the  merest  nibble  of  vege- 
tables and  fish  constituted  their  diet,  and  cotton 
fabrics  of  coarse  quality  served  as  clothing.  Only 
the  rich  could  afford  silk  goods,  or  a  mixture  of 
silk  and  cotton.  The  average  house  did  not  cost 
over  five  hundred  dollars,  and  the  only  furniture 
was  a  few  sets  of  bed-quilts,  cooking  and  house- 
hold utensils,  tatamis^  and  a  few  ornamented  sho- 
jees  and  screens.  Newspapers  were  unknown,  and 
books  were  rare.  Correspondence  with  adjoining 
provinces  was  phenomenal  when  indulged  in.  A 
person  grew  up  in  his  native  hamlet,  and  never 


362  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

went  twenty  miles  from  it  in  his  lifetime.  A  per- 
son who  had  crossed  the  mountains  into  an  adjoin- 
ing province,  or  had,  perchance,  roved  as  far*  as 
Yeddo,  acquired  the  reputation  of  a  traveler,  and 
was  quoted  by  his  neighbors  as  an  authority  on 
such  subjects. 

Nor  were  the  wealthy  people  at  all  affluent  in  our 
sense  of  the  term.  Ten  thousand  dollars  made  a 
rich  man.  Fifty  thousand  dollars  made  an  exceed- 
ingly rich  man.  Very  few  were  ever  worth  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  richest  merchant 
Japan  ever  had  lived  in  Yeddo  about  one  hundred 
years  ago.  He  is  reputed  to  have  amassed  by  a 
series  of  bold  speculations  a  fortune  amounting  to 
five  millions  of  dollars.  He  started  in  life  as  an 
orange  merchant ;  he  imported  them  by  junk  from 
Kiushiu,  a  distance  of  over  six  hundred  miles.  On 
one  occasion  a  long  spell  of  tempestuous  weather 
kept  the  various  orange  fleets  coast -bound ;  he, 
however,  boldly  put  to  sea  and  reached  Yeddo, 
where  he  sold  his  fruit  on  an  empty  market  at  a 
fine  profit.  On  another  occasion,  when  Yeddo  was 
swept  by  one  of  its  terrible  conflagrations,  he 
bought  up  all  the  lumber,  and  "cornered"  the 
market,  so  that  when  the  city  was  rebuilt  every- 
body had  to  purchase  their  materials  from  him, 
and  he  was  enabled  thus  to  amass  a  fabulous  for- 
tune. But,  as  before  observed,  such  fortunes  were 
phenomenal. 

The  foregoing  description  will  convey  to  your 
mind  a  fair  idea  of  the  condition  of  capital  and 


SOCIAL  PROBLEMS  IN  JAPAN.  363 

labor  during  feudal  times.  But  when  the  country 
was  thrown  open  to  foreign  intercourse  twenty-four 
years  ago,  the  existing  relations  of  Japanese  society 
became  changed.  The  tradesmen  became  affluent 
oflf  foreign  commerce ;  while  the  haughty  samurai^ 
scorning  to  defile  themselves  with  anything  savor- 
ing of  labor  or  trade,  became  impoverished.  This 
state  of  affairs  culminated  in  the  Revolution  of 
1 868- 1 870,  when  the  Daimios  surrendered  their 
prerogatives  to  the  government,  and  the  samurai^ 
stripped  of  their  hereditary  privileges,  were  reduced 
to  the  level  of  common  subjects.  Some  of  the 
lowest  grade  samurai  drifted  into  trade  and  labor ; 
some  had  sufficient  means  to  be  indifferent  to  the 
change ;  a  few  actually  died  of  starvation  ;  but  the 
vast  proportion  of  them  drifted  into  government 
employ  and  into  the  government  schools.  As 
matters  are  now  shaping  themselves,  it  is  not  im- 
probable that  in  a  few  years  the  government  will 
base  a  titled  peerage  upon  this  remnant  of  the  old 
feudal  aristocracy. 

At  present,  the  clashing  between  capital  and 
labor  is  hardly  known  in  Japan.  The  masses  will 
be  many  years  in  forgetting  the  old  distinction 
between  themselves  and  the  upper  classes.  They 
yet  regard  the  samurai  with  instinctive  fear  and 
respect.  They  yet  look  upon  them  as  beings  in- 
herently superior  to  themselves.  But  the  day  will 
surely  come  when  the  laborer  will  begin  to  question 
his  own  inferiority.  He  will  query  whether  he  has 
not  more  than  merely  the  right  to  exist ;  whether 


364  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

he  is  not  entitled  to  a  few  of  the  pleasures,  and  to 
a  few  of  the  relaxations  of  this  life ;  whether  he 
should  not  have  a  few  mental  diversions  and  hours 
of  leisure  to  devote  to  his  spiritual  development. 
He  will  rise  above  a  condition  of  mere  animal  con- 
tentedness  and  be  ambitious  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  his  family  as  well  as  his  own.  When 
that  time  comes,  the  Japanese  will  sec  the  application 
of  the  tenth  and  of  the  eleventh  commandments, 
which  contain,  in  fact,  the  only  principles  that  can 
adjust  this  question  here  or  anywhere  else.  When 
men  learn  to  do  as  they  would  be  done  by ;  when 
they  learn  to  show  that  consideration  for  the  unfort- 
unate condition  of  others  that  is  demanded  by  the 
Gospels,  and  when  those  in  lowly  circumstances 
learn  to  curb  their  envy  and  their  jealousy  of  those 
more  fortunately  circumstanced  than  themselves, 
then  will  be  evolved  that  mutual  regard  and  consid- 
eration between  the  moneyed  classes  and  the  labor- 
ing classes,  that  will  solve  this  vexed  problem  in 
all  countries. 

Sincerely  yours, 

TiiEOPHiLUS  Pratt. 


THK    THKEE    ESTATE> 


LETTER    XX. 
OUR   IMPERIAL  COUSINS. 

Kioto,  December  5,  1877. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

A  person  can  not  live  long  in  Japan  without 
coming  a  good  deal  in  contact  with  English 
people.  They  constitute  a  large  proportion  of  the 
foreign  community  in  the  far  East,  and  form  an 
important  social  and  commercial  factor  in  this 
country.  Hardly  had  Commodore  Perry  concluded 
his  famous  treaty  with  the  Shogun  before  England 
and  the  European  Powers  were  loudly  clamoring 
for  similar  treaty  privileges,  which,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  could  not  well  be  withheld  from  them. 
They  speedily  filled  the  Treaty  Ports,  and,  for  a 
number  of  years,  plied  a  vigorous  business.  The 
numberof  foreigners  in  Japan  to-day  is  not  over  three 
thousand  ;  and  I  do  not  think  it  an  unfair  estimate  to 
place  the  number  of  English  residents  at  fully  fifty 
per  cent,  of  the  entire  foreign  community,  while 
we  Americans  who  opened  up  the  country  do  not 
number  over  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  community. 

But,  although  our  element  is  decidedly  in  the 
minority,  yet  it  is  a  powerful  and  an  active  ele- 
ment, not  only  in  the  civilization  of  Japan,  but  also 


366  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

in  forming  the  social  tone  and  the  public  sentiment 
of  the  general  community.  Our  English  cousins,  who 
have  India  all  to  themselves,  and  who  do  pretty 
much  as  they  please  in  China,  find  in  Japan  an 
aggressive  and  independent  sentiment  that  docs 
not  submissively  yield  to  British  ideas  and  dictation. 
To  say  that  the  British  lion  chafes  and  growls 
under  this  unaccustomed  treatment  would  be  put- 
ting it  in  exceedingly  mild  terms,  when  the  English 
newspapers  of  Yokohama,  like  flaming  volcanoes, 
are  belching  forth  the  indignation  of  their  country- 
men at  some  contrary  action  on  the  part  of  the 
Japanese  Government,  or  on  the  part  of  the  refrac- 
tory Americans.  The  continued  mutterings  and 
rumblings  of  the  press  would  keep  the  community 
in  a  state  of  chronic  disturbance  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  we  have  learned  that  when  it  is  quietest, 
then  British  interests  are  being  conserved  ;  but  that 
when  it  is  loudest,  then  our  interests  and  those  of 
the  country  are  being  promoted  so  as  to  antagonize 
those  of  our  cousins  aforesaid  in  some  way  that 
they  do  not  relish.  We  have  therefore  come  to 
look  upon  the  press  as  a  delicate  meter  indicating 
the  relative  progress  of  the  country  and  of  British 
interests ;  and  we  feel  cheerful  when  it  is  noisiest, 
resting  assured  that  British  influence  and  rapacity 
have  been  checked  by  some  untoward  event,  and 
we  grow  suspicious  when  the  turmoil  subsides  for 
any  great  length  of  time,  fearing  lest  their  grasping 
proclivities  are  being  unduly  gratified  at  the  expense 
of  the  outside  community. 


OUR  IMPERIAL   COUSINS,  367 

The  antagonism  between  British  and  American 
ideas  is  sharper  in  Japan  than  it  is  anywhere  else  in 
the  Orient.  Our  views  are  perpetually  coming  in 
violent  collision.  Perhaps  the  most  marked  con- 
trast between  our  method  of  dealing  with  the  Jap- 
anese and  that  of  the  British  is  shown  in  our  postal 
treaty  with  Japan,  and  in  our  theory  respecting  the 
Shimonos^ki  indemnity.  When  we  made  our  pos- 
tal treaty  with  the  Japanese  about  four  years  ago, 
dealing  with  them  as  if  they  were  intelligent  equals, 
the  new  departure  was  met  with  derisive  scorn  by 
the  English  community.  With  the  same  verbose 
and  acrimonious  logic  that  they  used  nearly  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  in  predicting  the  speedy  failure  of 
the  **  Yankee  Republic," — that,  in  fact,  they  have 
used  at  each  critical  juncture  in  our  history  ever 
since  to  demonstrate  the  worthlessness  and  im- 
becility of  our  democratic  institutions — they  said 
that  the  Japanese  were  unable  to  conduct  a  postal 
system  upon  foreign  plans,  that  they  were  abso- 
lutely untrustworthy,  and  that  dire  confusion  and 
endless  delays  would  result  from  their  inexperience 
and  shiftlessness.  Yet  the  Japanese  have  managed 
the  matter  with  great  ability  and  credit  to  them- 
selves, and  similar  treaties  will  speedily  be  con- 
summated with  other  nations. 

.  Regarding  the  Shimonos^ki  indemnity,  our  theory 
is  that  it  was  a  vast  sum  of  money  unjustly  extorted 
from  a  feeble  government  that  was  rent  by  internal 
dissension,  and  at  a  time  when  it  was  vainly  endeav- 
oring to  quell  rebellions  among  semi-independent 


368  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

clans,  and  to  punish  those  fierce  clans  for  their 
aggressions  upon  foreigners.  To  extort  millions  of 
dollars  from  the  Shogun  for  the  acts  of  rebels  on  the 
borders  of  the  empire,  after  he  had  done  his  best 
to  punish  them  for  their  depredations,  and  after 
the  injured  parties  had  already  exacted  a  sanguin- 
ary vengeance  for  the  misdeeds,  we  considered  un- 
just. We  said  that  the  indemnity  thus  extorted 
should  be  refunded,  and  we  expressed  our  willing- 
ness to  return  our  share  of  it  at  once.  The  horror 
and  the  indignation  of  our  British  cousins  at  being 
asked  to  return  money  upon  which  they  had  already 
tightened  their  grip  can  better  be  imagined  than 
described.  A  tremendous  controversy  arose  upon 
the  subject.  This  strife  yet  continues.  How  it 
will  end,  I  cannot  tell.  But  I  trust  that  our  coun- 
trymen will  eventually  return  their  portion  of  the 
spoil,  whether  England  ever  does  so  or  not. 

There  are  three  well-defined  classes  of  English- 
men in  Japan.  The  first  class  is  composed  of  fair- 
minded  and  courteous  individuals  who  are  not  so 
bigoted  in  their  notions  about  Albion's  superiority 
as  to  be  unwilling  to  concede  merit  to  others  out- 
side of  their  own  nation.  They  are  willing  to  learn 
something  about  other  countries.  They  do  not 
pride  themselves  upon  their  ignorance  of  America 
and  of  American  affairs,  but  they  really  feel  gratified 
in  being  sufficiently  familiar  with  American  geog- 
raphy to  be  able  to  locate  Yale  College  in  Con- 
necticut, and  Harvard  College  in  Massachusetts, 
and  to  be  able  to  state  that  Philadelphia  is  a  city, 


OUR  IMPERIAL  COUSINS,  369 

and  not  a  State.  As  far  as  they  have  any  pro- 
nounced political  views,  they  are  generally  liberal 
and  democratic  in  their  tendencies.  They  are  in- 
telligent, sociable,  and  cosmopolitan  in  their  na- 
tures. 

The  second  class  is  composed  of  full-blown, 
hearty  specimens  of  humanity,  who  take  life  easy 
and  endeavor  to  avoid  as  far  as  possible  all  worry 
and  bother.  They  are  plodding  workers  and  hon- 
est, moderately  energetic  business  men;  but  at  the 
same  time  they  take  all  the  holidays  the  law  allows 
— feeling  grievously  abused,  should  the  number 
be  curtailed — and  invariably  appropriating  all  the 
extra  ones  that  they  can  legitimately  obtain. 
They  are  excellent  judges  of  the  respective  merits 
of  porter,  snipe,  and  pig,  but  have  hazy  and  indef- 
inite views  oh  political  theories  differing  from  their 
conservative  ideas  about  monarchy  and  aristocracy. 
As  connoisseurs  of  horses,  dogs,  and  trout,  they 
are  sans  pareil ;  but  their  perceptions  of  the  beau- 
ties of  republican  institutions  are  hopelessly  ob- 
tuse ;  and,  although  they  are  indefatigable  hunters 
and  anglers,  yet  they  never  develop  sufficient  men- 
tal acumen  to  take  exceptions  to  the  views  of  the 
Lojidon  Times,  the  Daily  News,  or  any  other  one 
of  the  journals  from  which  they  cram  their  brains 
with  political  lore.  They  make  tough  enemies, 
hospitable  friends,  and  conservative  subjects  ;  but 
they  invariably  prefer  hearty  good  fellowship,  well 
backed  up  with  a  substantial  array  of  stuffed  veal,  ale, 
and  pudding,  to  exhausting  political  controversy. 
24 


3  70  LE  TTERS  FROM  J  A  PAN. 

And  about  anything  relating  to  the  history,  the 
geography,  or  the  institutions  of  America,  they 
are  mildly  and  complacently  stupid  ;  nay,  more, 
they  arc  exasperatingly  stupid.  We  can  exciTse 
the  French  poet  who  located  alligators  and  palm 
trees  upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  but  when  one 
of  our  own  flesh  and  blood,  in  this  age  of  railroads, 
telegraphs,  and  liberal  ideas,  does  not  possess  a 
school-boy's  knowledge  of  the  United  States,  we 
must  really  protest  against  such  abominable  igno- 
rance. We  cannot  accept  the  silly  excuse  that  it  can 
not  be  expected  of  Englishmen  to  be  acquainted 
with  the  affairs  of  a  country  not  yet  a  hundred 
years  old,  and  whose  habits  and  customs  are  not 
recognized  among  the  cultured  classes  of  Europe. 

The  third  class  of  Englishmen  that  we  come  in 
contact  with  is  the  most  disagreeable  class  of  peo- 
ple imaginable.  They  are  not  only  grossly  igno- 
rant about  American  affairs,  but  they  glory  in 
parading  their  wretched  ignorance  on  every  avail- 
able occasion.  They  are  bigoted,  intolerant,  and 
conceited.  These  are  the  individuals  who  rant  in- 
terminably about  distorted  statements  relating  to 
American  affairs,  derived  from  hearsay  and  subsi- 
dized government  periodicals.  These  scions  of  fair 
Albion  never  consider  that  personal  experience 
or  observation  are  essential  to  correct  opinions 
about  the  practical  features  of  republicanism.  They 
convey  the  impression  that  an  editor  who  has  never 
visited  the  United  States  is  specially  endowed  with 
oracular  powers  for  expounding  democratic   doc- 


OUR  IMPERIAL   COUSINS.  371 

trines,  exploding  democratic  theories,  and  for  pre- 
dicting the  speedy  collapse  of  all  institutions  not 
based  upon  "blood  "  and  prerogative.  Here  be- 
longs the  coarse,  the  pedantic,  the  pig-headed 
Cockney,  who  is  always  on  the  qui  vive  to  hurl  his 
guffaws  at  anything  American,  and  whose  ignorance 
about  things  American  is  only  equaled  by  his 
assurance  in  discussing  them.  Such  are  the  people 
who  inquire  with  languid  sympatfiy  why  Americans 
always  eat  molasses  on  their  pork !  It  will  be  use- 
less for  you  to  intimate  to  them  that  such  is  no 
more  a  general  custom  in  America  than  it  is  for 
Englishmen  to  drink  coffee  and  treacle  together, 
for  they  will  insist  that  Americans  themselves  say 
so.  And  when  you  endeavor  to  enlighten  their 
minds  by  informing  them  theft  the  American  sailors, 
from  whom  they  or  their  ancestors  derived  that 
morsel  of  information,  were  only  talking  about  ma- 
rine customs,  that  were  by  no  means  an  exponent 
of  general  national  usage,  they  will  the  more  vigor- 
ously insist  upon  the  correctness  of  their  statement 
and  plunge  into  the  subject  with  renewed  anima- 
tion. They  inform  you  with  great  satisfaction  that 
they  are  able  to  distinguish  an  American  before  he 
has  spoken  three  words, — reposing  in  sublime  igno- 
rance of  the  fact  that  their  own  brogue  and  appear- 
ance render  them  equally  conspicuous  to  Americans. 
They  express  intense  merriment  at  Americans  tak- 
ing only  three  months  to  "do"  Europe,  without 
considering  that  their  own  countrymen  take  much 
less  time  for  "  doing  "  America,  and  then  seem  to 


372  LE  TTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

consider  themselves  capable  of  discussing  any  feat- 
ure of  the  country.  They  take  it  for  granted  that 
every  American  is  disposed  to  be  boastful,  and 
therefore  organize  themselves  into  a  reform  com- 
mittee to  eradicate  this  idiosyncrasy ;  and,  while 
deeming  themselves  entitled  to  assume  the  perfec- 
tion of  everything  English,  and  considering  it  appro- 
priate for  John  Bull  to  consider  himself  ne plusultrUy 
they  manifest  unfeigned  uneasiness  at  having  other 
nations  assume  the  same  premises  respecting  them- 
selves, and  feel  highly  scandalized  at  Brother  Jona- 
than's most  excellent  opinion  respecting  himself. 
Being  aware  that  no  aristocracy  on  the  Prussian 
Blue  system  exists  in  America,  they  infer  that 
society  must  be  "  orridly  "  common,  and  that  polite 
and  elegant  language  is  not  much  used,  and,  upon 
the  principle  of  not  casting  pearls  before  swine, 
they  take  no  pains  to  express  themselves  in  the 
deferential  phrases  with  which  they  would  address 
educated  people  of  their  own  country,  but  adopt  a 
brusque  phraseology  that  borders  on  the  coarse  and 
impertinent.  I  have  frequently  listened  in  silence 
to  terms  and  forms  of  speech  insulting  to  my  coun- 
try, because,  by  taking  notice  thereof,  a  noisy  alter- 
cation would  have  inevitably  ensued.  Should  the 
unkind  decrees  of  mysterious  fate  ordain  that  you 
should  sit  opposite  to  one  of  these  people  at  a 
dinner  party,  you  will  find  your  hands  full  for  the 
balance  of  the  meal.  You  will  find  him  to  be  as 
ignorant  of  the  principles  of  Lord  Chesterfield's 
immortal  work  as  a  horse  is  of  rhetoric.     He  is  not 


OUR  IMPERIAL   COUSINS,  373 

aware  of  the  fact  that,  in  a  promiscuous  company, 
national  peculiarities  should  not  be  offensively 
dwelt  upon. 

Those  of  our  imperial  cousins  who  have  been 
endowed  with  thoughtful  minds  have  collected, 
from  history,  and  from  a  study  of  the  social  and  of 
the  political  institutions  of  Japan,  a  very  subtle 
and  highly  scientific  series  of  arguments  in  favor 
of  monarchical  forms  of  governments.  General- 
izing from  history,  they  argue  that,  before  and 
since  the  days  of  the  Jewish  theocracy  when  the 
people  clamored  for  a  king  to  reign  over  them, 
mankind  has  always  manifested  a  natural  prefer- 
ence for  monarchical  forms  of  government.  These 
forms  of  government,  say  they,  have  always  been 
the  most  prevalent  and  the  most  popular  in  all 
ages  and  in  all  countries.  Greece  and  Rome  began 
as  monarchies  and  ended  as  monarchies.  All  the 
republics  that  have  ever  existed,  were  eventually 
merged  into  monarchies.  Society,  in  all  countries, 
has  always  shown  a  natural  disposition  to  differen- 
tiate itself.  You  are  bound  to  have  your  high 
classes  and  your  low  classes  at  the  social  extremes. 
Ignorance,  poverty,  and  vice  will  inevitably  form  a 
substratum,  in  any  community,  that  will  be  unfit 
to  govern  itself  for  any  length  of  time ;  and  those 
classes  wherein  concentrate  wealth,  refinement,  and 
intelligence,  will  eventually  devise  methods  where- 
by to  control  the  masses.  Such  evolutions  of  so- 
cial differentiations  will  only  be  a  question  of  time 
in  any  country,  they  say. 


374  LETTERS  FROAf  JAPAN. 

And,  applying  their  generalizations  to  Japan, 
they  fortify  their  theories  with  practical  illustra- 
tions. The  Ainos,  the  aborigines  of  the  country, 
were  mild  tribes  of  pastoral  people  living  in  huts 
and  caves,  and  subsisting  on  the  spoils  of  the  chase. 
In  their  primitive  state  of  society,  social  equality 
prevailed.  The  head  man  of  the  hamlet,  or  of  the 
village,  was  on  a  level  with  his  constituents.  Then 
came  the  Malays  and  the  Mongolians  with  their 
superior  bravery  and  intelligence.  In  the  course  of 
centuries,  amalgamation  and  differentiation  evolved 
the  present  triple  system  of  Japanese  society,  viz.: 
the  samurai,  the  tradesmen,  and  the  peasantry. 
The  descendants  of  each  class  naturally  inherited 
the  traits  peculiar  to  that  class,  until  each  breed 
became  so  fixed  in  its  characteristics  that  the  feat- 
ures and  bearing  of  each  class  could  be  readily  dis- 
tinguished. And  even  though  feudal  caste  has 
been  abolished,  and  all  the  people  are  merely  sub- 
jects before  the  emperor,  yet  the  samurai  class 
still  is  the  governing  Class,  the  tradesmen  still  keep 
on  in  their  old  avocations,  and  the  peasants  wade 
in  the  mud  as  of  yore,  hardly  being  aware  of  the 
vast  changes  around  them,  and  being  just  as  un- 
fitted for  governing  the  empire  as  if  the  laws  for- 
bade them  entering  the  civil  service. 

Thus  will  it  eventually  be  in  the  United  States, 
they  predict.  In  the  course  of  centuries,  the  high, 
the  middle,  and  the  low  classes  will  differentiate 
themselves  into  well  defined  types  of  the  commu- 
nity.    The   ranks  of  trade  will  be  filled  with  the 


OUR  IMPERIAL   COUSINS.  375 

descendants  of  those  who  manifested  peculiar  fit- 
ness for  mercantile  pursuits  in  by-gone  years,  and 
who  have  transmitted  to  their  progeny  their  own 
peculiar  mercantile  aptitude  and  proclivities.  The 
laboring  classes  will  naturally  be  composed  of  the 
descendants  of  laborers.  And  those  families  that 
have  held  money  and  land  for  many  generations, 
will  develop  into  keen,  intelligent,  diplomatic  classes 
of  people  who  will  be  naturally  fitted  for  the  pro- 
fessions and  for  politics,  having  the  inclination,  the 
training,  and  the  leisure  to  devote  thereto.  And, 
in  the  course  of  centuries,  we  will  have  three  dis- 
tinct classes  of  society  transmitting  to  their  de- 
scendants their  own  peculiar  tastfts,  inclinations, 
characteristics  and  features,  until  we  have,  like  the 
Japanese,  almost  three  distinct  races.  When  that 
time  comes,  then  will  the  higher  classes  naturally 
absorb  power  and  prerogative.  Citing  our  immi- 
gration, they  predict  that  in  a  few  years  there  will 
be  vast  masses  of  Chinese  in  the  United  States, 
who,  in  connection  with  the  millions  of  negroes 
already  in  the  country,  will  form  a  substratum  of 
society  having  but  little  aptitude  or  inclination  for 
self-government,  and  expecting  to  be  governed  by 
the  more  enterprising  and  imperious  Caucasians. 
This  Caucasian  clement  will  be  like  the  Malay  ele- 
ment in  Japan — fiery,  intelligent,  capable  of  gov- 
erning. It  will  naturally  form  an  aristocratic  class. 
And  then,  as  aristocrats  must  have  a  court  and  a 
monarchy,  we  will  have,  in  the  course  of  time,  these 
institutions  established  in  the  United  States.  While 


376  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

a  country  is  young  and  growing,  a  republican  form 
of  government  is  all  well  enough,  they  say;  but 
when  it  has  become  well  settled,  it  naturally  be- 
comes conservative  and  monarchical  in  all  its  ten- 
dencies. In  short,  the  ideas  of  our  imperial  cous- 
ins, when  reduced  to  a  definite  proposition,  is, 
that^  in  political  matters^  a  cultured  mifiority  must 
govern  the  vulgar  majority;  which  principle,  they 
claim,  will  eventually  prevail  in  the  United  States. 
*'  Behold !  how  intensely  monarchical  in  all  their 
tendencies  are  all  your  Southern  States.  Virginia, 
Maryland,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Georgia, 
and  Louisiana,  were  all  christened  in  honor  of 
European  monarchs ;  they  were  settled  by  an  aris- 
tocratic element,  by  the  sons  of  impecunious  gen- 
try, by  the  shoddy  patrician  classes,  if  you  so 
please  to  express  it,  who  emigrated,  under  the 
auspices  and  under  the  leadership  of  noblemen,  to 
seek  in  the  rich  fields  and  favorable  climate  of  the 
relaxing  latitudes  of  the  South  the  necessaries  and 
the  luxuries  of  life  without  being  subjected  to  the 
severe  toil  and  to  the  bitter  climatic  vicissitudes 
endured  by  the  settlers  of  bleak  New  England. 
The  salubrity  and  the  fertility  of  the  South  having 
thus  attracted  the  Bohemian  clement  of  British 
aristocracy,  there  naturally  sprang  up  in  those  re- 
gions the  customs  and  manners  of  patricians.  A 
powerful  slave  aristocracy  was  rapidly  developed, 
which  perpetually  collided  with  the  republican  ten- 
dencies of  the  plebeian  North,  and  which  would 
eventually  have  terminated  in  monarchy  had  it  not 


OUR  IMPERIAL   COUSINS,  377 

been  crushed  at  frightful  cost."  Such,  I  ween, 
would  be  the  ideas  of  our  thoughtful  imperial 
cousins,  when  captured  and  expressed  in  intell- 
igible English.  The  shrewd  and  crafty  aristocracy 
of  England  had  long  known  how  matters  were 
drifting  in  the  South,  and,  from  the  commencement 
of  the  conflict,  gave  their  unqualified  and  hearty 
support  to  the  mediaeval  confederacy  of  Calhoun; 
and,  like  an  evil  spirit,  stood  ever  ready  to  sow  dis- 
sension, and  to  widen  the  gap  between  the  North 
and  the  South — between  republicanism  and  mo- 
narchical tendencies,  between  a  higher  and  nobler 
development  of  democratic  institutions  and  the 
evolution  of  a  patrician  condition  of  society  with 
all  its  selfish  and  conservative  theories.  From  afar, 
they  saw  that  this  mediaeval  aristocracy  and  con- 
federacy must  either  develop  into  feudalism  or  into 
monarchy;  in  either  case,  republicanism,  with  all  its 
hated  tendencies,  would  be  destroyed ;  the  white 
man  would  forever  be  the  imperious  samurai^  the 
black  man  would  forever  be  the  laboring  heimin ; 
and  the  republic  of  the  North  would  be  perpet- 
ually menaced  by  the  foothold  thus  gained  by 
monarchy  on  the  North  American  Continent.  The 
establishment  of  a  European  monarchy  by  force 
of  arms  in  the  republic  of  Mexico,  during  the  prog- 
ress of  our  Civil  War,  was  thoroughly  in  harmony 
with  the  spirit  of  the  British  aristocracy. 

But  it  is  needless  to  state  that  untoward  events 
demolished  the  schemes  of  the  diplomatic  patri- 
cians of  the  old  world,  yet,  while  we  have  crushed 


378  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

the  armies  of  the  Rebellion,  we  must  admit  that  it 
will  take  a  long  time  for  the  old  tendencies  to  fade 
away.  We  must  be  ever  vigilant  to  check  the 
advances  of  the  old  slave  aristocracy.  It  will  be 
cheaper  for  us  to  keep  the  South  in  the  Union 
than  to  allow  a  vast  and  hostile  monarchy  to  be 
established  beside  our  Northern  republic;  to  be 
compelled  to  fortify  thousands  of  miles  of  frontier  ; 
and  to  be  compelled  to  keep  a  standing  army  equal 
in  size  to  the  vast  legions  that  the  Southern 
empire  would  probably  keep  under  arms  at  all 
times.  These,  however,  are  problems  for  the  fu- 
ture to  solve.  I,  for  my  part,  do  not  think  we  will 
fulfill  the  predictions  or  conform  to  the  ingenious 
deductions  of  our  imperial  cousins. 

Undoubtedly  there  is  considerable  truth  in  the 
foregoing  enunciation.  There  can  be  no  question 
that  monarchical  forms  of  government  have  cer- 
tainly been  the  most  common  in  the  world. 
Equally  evident  is  it  that  society  will  differentiate 
itself  to  a  certain  extent  in  every  country.  We 
have,  and  always  have  had,  in  the  United  States, 
laboring  classes,  mercantile  classes,  and  moneyed 
classes  decidedly  aristocratic  in  their  tendencies. 
I  do  not  think  that  these  three  general  classes  can 
ever  be  done  away  with.  There  always  must  be  social 
inequality  in  this  world  until  the  spirit  of  Christ 
has  permeated  all  classes  and  has  imbued  every- 
body with  neighborly  feelings  of  kindness  and  con- 
sideration for  mankind  in  general.  We  can  never 
make   laws   to   compel   select   circles  of   beatified 


OUR  IMPERIAL   COUSINS.  379 

snobs  to  admit  the  public  in  general  to  their  social 
communings.  Just  fancy  the  utter  absurdity  in- 
volved in  attempting  to  say  through  our  legis- 
latures to  the  old  Knickerbocker  families  of  New- 
York,  or  to  the  haughty  aristocracy  of  the  South- 
ern States,  "Admit  the  public  at  large  to  all  your 
social  gatherings ;  to  wit :  to  your  balls,  to  your 
dinner  parties,  to  your  house-warmings ;  be  per- 
fectly impartial  to  every  one  ;  show  no  social 
preferences  of  any  description  whatsoever ;  call 
upon  everybody,  and  receive  calls  from  every- 
body." 

Social  sets  and  cliques,  based  upon  likes  and 
dislikes,  similarity  of  tastes,  and  upon  worldly 
prosperity,  will  invariably  be  organized  wherever 
men  congregate  in  communities,  whether  in  mon- 
archies or  republics.  And  these  social  inequalities 
are  perfectly  consistent  with  our  theories  of  politi- 
cal equality.  But  we  and  our  descendants  must  be 
vigilant  and  prevent  selfish  and  ambitious  families 
from  using  their  social  advantages  as  a  basis  upon 
which  to  found  political  prerogative  and  privilege. 
Here  lies  the  danger  of  the  future.  There  can  be 
no  disgrace  in  candidly  admitting  this.  Let  us 
clearly  understand  it,  and  let  us  be  perpetually  on 
guard;  then  will  our  democratic  institutions  be 
safe. 

I  think  that,  as  we  develop  the  principles  of  the 
Gospels  in  our  social  and  political  affairs,  we  will 
find  the  true  solution  of  this  complicated  question. 
Some  will  treat   this  confession  of  faith  with  con- 


380  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

temptuous  derision.  But  let  us  look  into  facts  a 
little,  and  see  if  they  do  not  support  our  view. 
Although  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
does  not  recognize  any  creed  or  religion,  yet  the 
principles  upon  which  it  is  founded  are  eminently 
Christian  in  spirit.  Equality,  justice,  and  good- 
will toward  all  nations,  breathe  all  through  it. 
And,  in  obedience  to  the  directions  contained 
therein,  the  whole  policy  of  our  government  has 
been  to  elevate  and  benefit  the  poor  and  weak 
members  of  the  community ;  and  it  extends  these 
privileges  to  any  nation  whose  people  show  any 
disposition  to  become  part  of  the  commonwealth. 
Has  there  ever  been  such  liberality  as  this  in  the 
history  of  nations  ?  Is  it  not  thoroughly  Christian  ? 
It  has  introduced  into  the  world  a  description  of 
political  equality  that  will  permit  the  development 
of  such  characters  as  Abraham  Lincoln  from  a  raw- 
boned  peasant  into  a  President.  Who  can  deny 
that  these  doctrines  and  principles,  when  consist- 
ently practiced  by  every  one,  will  develop  a  spirit 
of  mutual  consideration  and  confidence?  When 
the  poor  cease  to  envy  the  fortuitous  condition  of 
the  wealthy,  and  when  those  favored  by  fortune 
cease  to  be  supercilious  and  selfish,  then  will  be 
consummated  a  condition  of  society  dimly  forecast 
by  the  prophets.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  in  propor- 
tion as  the  principles  of  the  Gospels  have  been 
faithfully  and  honestly  applied  to  politics  and  to 
society,  in  that  same  proportion  have  they  become 
elevated  and  liberalized. 


OUR  IMPERIAL   COUSINS.  38 1 

In  my  very  humble  opinion,  Christ's  kingdom 
will  be  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  universal 
republic  wherein  social  and  political  equality  will 
be  secured  by  mutual  consideration  and  kindness 
among  all  classes  and  nations.  This  state  of  affairs 
will  prevail  just  as  soon  as  mankind  will  allow  it  to 
do  so.  Christianity  is  the  only  equalizer  in  the 
world.  The  poorest  may  practice  its  precepts  and 
secure  that  refinement  of  sentiment  and  action 
which  mere  rank  and  riches  fail  to  bestow.  It 
alone  teaches  that  the  chief  end  of  life  is  the  sub- 
jection of  the  appetites  and  passions  to  the  purer 
and  nobler  impulses  of  the  soul.  Its  principles, 
when  applied  to  the  details  of  every-day  life, 
become  a  profound  and  wonderful  science  ;  a  com- 
plicated problem  whose  terms  are  ever  varying, 
whose  objective  point  is  always  self-conquest, 
whose  arena  is  the  human  heart  and  brain,  and 
whose  factors  are  the  soul  and  the  evil  tendencies 
of  the  flesh.  All  must  fight  the  same  battle.  The 
rich  perhaps  may  fight  under  more  favorable  cir- 
cumstances ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  more  is  ex- 
pected of  them.  The  samurai  acquires  a  polished 
bearing  and  diction  from  his  favorable  surround- 
ings ;  but  it  is  only  a  social  veneer ;  he  carries 
beneath  it  a  cruel  and  lustful  heart ;  he  is  admon- 
ished to  combat  these  vile  tendencies  of  his  nature 
and  to  subdue  them  ere  he  can  enter  the  kingdom 
of  Christ.  The  heimin,  on  the  other  hand,  born 
into  life  with  gross  passions  and  ambitionless  emo- 
tions, is  directed  to  eliminate  his  coarse  appetites 


382  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN, 

and  to  develop  the  obtuse  and  dwarfed  faculties  of 
his  mind.  The  precepts  of  Christianity  demand  of 
one  that  he  should  crush  his  foul  and  treacherous 
instincts ;  of  the  other,  his  splenetic  idiosyn- 
crasies. Each  must  battle  with  those  failings 
peculiar  to  himself ;  succeeding  in  this,  their  souls 
harmonize  and  are  brought  into  congenial  fellow- 
ship ;  herein  they  become  equal. 

I  care  not  what  may  be  a  man's  nationality ; 
provided  his  soul  is  sincerely  struggling  with  the 
base  elements  of  his  nature,  he  is  my  friend.  If  I 
see  an  Englishman  leading  a  life  of  shame  in  these 
regions,  I  feel  mortified  and  grieved.  Dr.  Johnson 
may  not  have  had  the  manners  of  a  horse,  accord- 
ing to  the  standard  of  the  patrician  Chesterfield, 
but,  beneath  his  boorish  exterior,  there  dwelt  the 
instincts  of  a  Christian  gentleman  ;  while  beneath 
the  social  veneer  of  the  noble  lord,  there  lurked 
the  heart  of  a  crafty  and  salacious  scoundrel,  who 
would  not  have  hesitated  to  corrupt  the  purity  of 
any  household  in  Christendom,  who  instilled  his 
infernal  creed  into  the  youthful  mind  of  his  son, 
and  whose  wretched  precepts  and  example  form  but 
a  miserable  excuse  for  his  fast  young  countrymen 
in  the  East. 

When  all  classes  and  all  nations  practice  the 
principles  enunciated  in  the  Gospels  in  all  the  de- 
tails of  their  lives,  I  apprehend  that  there  will  be 
but  little  collision  between  the  peoples  and  the 
nations  of  the  earth.  This  peaceful  condition  is 
the  one  toward  which  mankind  seems  to  be  rapidly 


OUR  IMPERIAL   COUSINS,  383 

drifting, — a  universal  republic,   Christ's  kingdom, 
the  millennium,  whatever  you  choose  to  call  it. 

But  whatever  the  future  may  bring  forth,  let  our 
imperial  cousins  be  mindful  of  the  fact  that,  during 
the  past  century,  Europe  and  England  have  de- 
veloped strong  democratic  tendencies.  Let  them 
not  be  oblivious  of  the  fact  that  Great  Britain  is 
far  more  liberal  and  democratic  now  than  she  was 
a  hundred  years  ago  ;  that  she  has  been  steadily 
coming  up  to  the  level  of  the  American  standard 
of  politics  for  many  years ;  that  this  progress  on 
her  part  is  rapidly  lessening  the  difference  between 
our  two  systems  of  government  ;  and  that  if  she 
goes  on  in  the  same  ratio  of  improvement,  she  will 
soon  be  a  republic.  We  do  not  believe  the  doc- 
trine that  a  cultivated  minority  can  best  govern  the 
majority  of  the  people  in  an  intelligent  and  Chris- 
tian community.  We  believe  that  in  such  com- 
munities the  sentiment  of  the  majority,  upon  all 
political  questions,  is  apt  to  be  safer  and  sounder 
than  the  sentiment  of  the  minority  ;  and  that  the 
sentiment  of  that  majority,  fairly,  candidly,  and 
conscientiously  expressed,  should  always  be  sover- 
eign. Cultured  minorities  may  reach  shrewd  con- 
clusions, but  they  are  frequently  exceedingly  selfish 
in  their  doctrines  and  policies.  No,  my  imperial 
cousins,  we  will  not  discuss  this  matter  any  further. 
We  will  let  the  future  demonstrate  which  is  the 
safer  and  sounder  theory.  But  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  the  logic  of  facts  will  speedily  demon- 
strate to  the  satisfaction  of  mankind  that  suffrage, 


384  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

based  upon  man  as  the  unit  of  political  power,  is 
the  best,  the  safest,  and  the  most  satisfactory  of  all 
sovereigns. 

And  now,  Julius  Marcellus,  I  shall  probably  not 
write  any  more  letters  from  Kioto.  I  am  not  en- 
joying the  best  of  health  here,  and  it  is  time  to  be 
returning  to  my  own  country  to  resume  my  inter- 
rupted studies.  I  am  seriously  thinking  of  resign- 
ing my  position  and  returning  home  by  way  of 
India  and  Europe.  My  route  has  been  long  laid 
out,  and  I  have  been  steadily  growing  impatient  to 
start  off.  My  next  letter  will  be  definite  upon  this 
matter,  and,  till  then,  farewell ! 

TiiEOPHiLUS  Pratt. 


LETTER  XXI. 

FAREWELL  TO   JAPAN. 

Yokohama,  January  8,  1878. 

Dear  Julius  Marcellus: 

The  time  has  now  come  for  me  to  bid  farewell 
to  Japan.  I  resigned  my  position  in  Kioto  last 
month,  and  have  been  supremely  busy  ever  since  in 
making  preparations  for  my  departure  from  these 
very  pleasant  shores.  There  are  many  strong  rea- 
sons that  have  combined  to  urge  me  to  decide  to 
leave  this  country. 

In  the  first  place,  I  have  contracted  a  stubborn 
intermittent  fever,  derived,  I  presume,  from  sleep- 
ing on  the  floor  in  the  temple  at  Kioto.  My  con- 
tract being  only  for  one  year,  I  did  not  feel  dis- 
posed to  waste  money  on  a  bedstead,  and  therefore 
adopted  the  Japanese  method  of  repose,  which  I 
am  now  prepared  to  characterize  as  not  only  un- 
comfortable, but  decidedly  unhealthy,  as  the  foul 
air  from  beneath  the  house  thus  finds  ready  access 
to  your  lungs.  I  presume  that  I  have  also  aggra- 
vated my  malady  by  a  series  of  colds  which  I  have 
taken  in  the  school-room  and  in  my  Kioto  man- 
25 


386  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

sion.  In  the  high  rooms  of  the  temple  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  keep  myself  warm,  even  with 
a  red-hot  stove.  In  vain  did  I  paper  up  all  the 
crevices  of  my  study,  hoping  thus  to  keep  in  the 
heat,  for  I  discovered  that  the  shojees  allowed  the 
warm  air  to  filter  through  them  as  if  they  had  been 
sieves. 

In  the  second  place,  I  found  myself  rapidly  be- 
coming a  confirmed  dyspeptic  from  the  bad  habit 
of  hastily  swallowing  my  food.  Eating  my  meals 
all  alone,  without  any  enlivening  conversation,  was 
also  very  injurious  to  my  digestion.  My  breakfast 
was  usually  disposed  of  in  silence ;  my  lunch  was 
always  a  minus  quantity,  as  the  school  was  three 
miles  from  home ;  and  my  dinner  was  devoured 
with  a  ravenous  appetite,  whetted  to  the  keenest 
of  edges  by  the  long  walks  of  the  day.  The  soli- 
tude and  the  silence  were  becoming  unendurable. 
I  had  enough  of  that  experience  in  Hirosaki.  Life 
in  Kioto,  of  course,  was  not  nearly  so  lonely  as 
that  up  north,  but,  taken  in  connection  with  the 
feverish  condition  of  my  system,  it  seemed  to 
make  it  prudent  for  me  to  terminate  my  engage- 
ment. 

In  the  third  place,  if  I  wish  to  settle  down  in  my 
own  country,  it  is  high  time  to  be  returning. 
Nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  passed  over  my 
head,  and,  with  my  professional  studies  in  view, 
time  is  becoming  exceedingly  valuable.  Although 
Japan  has  a  lovely  climate  and  the  most  beautiful 
scenery,  yet  so  different  arc  the  people  from  our- 


FAREWELL    TO  JAPAN.  387 

selves  in  thought,  sentiment,  and  aspiration,  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  affiliate  and  to  grow 
up  with  them. 

But  it  is  not  without  much  regret  that  I  take 
leave  of  this  charming  land.  I  have  spent  four 
exceedingly  happy  years  here,  and  I  shall  always 
look  back  to  this  period  of  my  life  with  feelings  of 
profound  pleasure.  My  trips  over  lake,  mountain, 
and  river  will  forever  be  bright  spots  in  my 
memory,  that  the  flight  of  years  may  render  dim, 
but  can  never  erase. 

I  take  this  occasion  to  thank  you  for  the  many 
kind  letters  with  which  you  have  favored  me  dur- 
ing my  exile.  It  is  a  matter  of  regret  to  me  that 
I  shall  now  be  deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  hearing 
the  postman  at  my  gate  announcing  the  arrival  of 
letters  from  home.  You,  who  get  your  mails  every 
day,  can  have  but  faint  conception  of  the  thrill  of 
joyful  expectancy  experienced  by  us  who  receive 
ours  but  once  a  fortnight.  I  shall  be  amply  satis- 
fied if  my  own  rambling  correspondence  shall  have 
afforded  you  one-half  of  the  pleasure  that  yours 
has  afforded  me. 

I  do  not  expect  ever  to  return  to  Japan.  Pos- 
sibly in  the  dim  future  I  may  revisit  the  scenes  of 
my  youthful  sojourn  in  these  regions.  But  it  will 
never  be  the  same  country  to  me  again.  It  will 
have  undergone  vast  changes, — all  for  the  better, 
no  doubt, — but  it  will  but  shadow  forth  the  quaint 
reminiscences  of  the  past.  There  is  a  lovely  strain 
in   the  Deserted   Village  that   floats   through   my 


388  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN. 

memory  as  I   write  these  closing   lines.     Let  me 
conclude  by  quoting  it : 

**  Sweet  Auburn  !    Parent  of  the  blissful  hour ! 
Thy  glades  forlorn  confess  the  tyrant's  power. 
Here,  as  I  take  my  solitary  rounds, 
Amidst  thy  tangling  walks  and  mined  grounds. 
And,  many  a  year  elapsed,  return  to  view 
Where  once  the  cottage  stood,  the  hawthorn  grew, — 
Remembrance  wakes  with  all  her  busy  train, 
Swells  at  my  breast,  and  turns  the  past  to  pain." 

Sincerely  yours, 

Theophilus  Pratt. 


INDEX. 


PACK 

Ainos 55 

Assassinations — causes  of . . .  ioq 

Avenues 86 

Awomori— description  of . . . .  40 

**  journey  to 41 

**  meeting    scholars 

at 41 

"  night  scene  in. . .  41 

hotel  in 42 

Ban-Cho 147 

Bell  of  Chioin  Monastery.  . .  .246 
British  Legation  in  Tokio — 146 
Browbeating  the   Japanese — 

sample  of 122 

Buddhist    Monasteries  in  Ja- 
pan  315 

Buddhism      compared      with 

Christianity 318 

Capital  and  Labor  in  Japan.  .356 

Cascades  at  Nikko 186 

Chapel  of  lyiyas  at  Nikko. . .  183 

Chiusenji  Lake 175 

Christianity  discussed  by  Jap- 
anese Scholars 165 

Civilization  and  Beefsteak .  . .  224 
Civilization    and    Religion — 

correlative  terms 214 

Complexion  of  Japanese.    ...  338 
Compositions — samples  of .  . .  168 
Conjugal  Relations  of  the  Jap- 
anese  346 

Court  Scene  in  Hakodate. .  .    105 

Dai-Butz  at  Nara 262 

Daimios  -description  of 65 

life  of 66 

*'  poetry  of 68 


PAGB 

Death  of  Buddha— note 258 

Death  of  Saigo 301 

Defender  of  the  Faith 213 

Desima 143 

Dogs — idiosyncrasies  describ- 
ed  178 

Dutch — annual  visit  to  Yeddo.  137 
Ejinsan — treatment  of  native 

house 153 

Ejinsan— what 131 

Empress  Jingo 22a 

Endless  Mountain 238 

English  Press  in  Yokohama. 366 
Execution  of  the  Assassin. .  .  107 

Family  Jars 348 

Farewell  to  Hirosaki 127 

Farewell  Address  from  Direc- 
tors  128 

Feudal  Customs — decadence.   71 
Feudal  Government   describ- 
ed   76 

Foreign  Teachers  in  Japan .  .   84 

Fujiyama 272 

* '         appearance      from 

summit 281 

climbing 277 

cone 279 

descent 285 

general    features   of 

landscape 275 

huts  on  summit   ...  282 

routes  to 273 

view  at  base 275 

view  at  summit. . .  .282 
Kakku-Gi — temple. 


Gin 

Godown — definition  of. 


247 
139 


390 


INDEX. 


PACE 

Hakodate — description  of .  . .   38 
"             foreign      popula- 
tion of 39 

"  battle  in 39 

journey  to 38 

Hara-Kiri 139;   no 

Hebachi 151 

Hirosaki — my  house 49  ;  82 

"  meeting  scholars.    49 

*'  horseback  ride  to.   44 

*'  description  of .  . .  .    36 

"  "  school.   82 

*'  my  Boy 90 

"  his  eccentricities. .    91 

"  musical  dogs 96 

Hotel  Bill — sami)le  of.    221 

House-keeping  in  Tokio  .  . .  .153 

Inland  Sea 191 

Ise  Temples 230 

Iwaki-san    351   53 

lyemitsu — shrines  of 184 

lyeyas       .    68 

Japanese  Singing 88 

love    of    novelty    in 
religious  matters.  .203 

"        village  scener)' 45 

"        kou'tiKL'ing 46 

"        soldiers 57 

"        Castles — origin...    58 
"  "         general 

features.    59 
"  "         one  at  Hi-        j 

rosaki.  .    59 
"  "     audience 

chamber.  .    63 
"  "     present    con- 

dition ....   64 
•'       red  tape — sample  of.  120 

Jesuit  Priest  in  Hirosaki 113 

Jinriksha 132 

Kago 132 

Kai-Sei-Gakko 148 

Kamakura  Image 267 

Kayaki  Wood 306 

Kii  Province 232 

Kioto — routes  to 244 

*'         general     characteris- 
tics   248 


PACK 

Kioto — my  house 251 

'*     neighbors 252 

'*     Boy 256 

population 244 

temples 245 

"         Chioin  temple 246 

"         religious  features. ..  .248 

' '         character  of  people . .  248 

holiday  of  courtesans.  249 

'*         picnics 250 

Kin-Kakku-Gi 246 

Kobe 190 

Kobu-Daishi 239 

Kumamolo  Castle 295 

"     siege 297 

Lake   Biwa 304 

Laws  of  lyiyas 68  ;  71 

Lifeof  Priests  in  Monasteries.317 

Mikado 7i  ;  73 

-Mining  Department 145 

Missions  in  1  okio 198 

*'         **    Yokohama 199 

Mitsu-Bishi  Company 189 

Mitsui  Bank 216 

Mission  Work  in  Yokohama.  199 
"  "       hostility  to. .  .  .205 

Monastery  of  Coyasan 239 

Monastery  of  Hiyeisan 306 

"       priest^;.  308 
"       slaugh- 
ter    of 
priests.  309 
"  "         "         view 

from 311 

Mukojima — cherry  groves. . .  158 

Nagasaki 191 

Nara--temple 261 

**         dimensions  of  image. 263 

"    bell..  .266 

New- Year's  calling  in  Japan .  137 

Nihon-Bashi 136 

Nikko  Village 1 79 

Nikko  Temples 179 

Nir\'ana 313 

Norimon 86 

Ono  Village 225 

Owari  Castle 63  :  228 

Pacific  Railway 2 


INDEX. 


391 


fac;k 
Pacitic  Steamers — embarking.     7 
•*  •'  starting...     8 

*•  "  class    of 

passengers.    6 
*'  "  voyage. ...    10 

♦'  *'  table  scene.  11 

Pappenbeig 193 

Pilgrimages  of  Natives 174 

Politeness  of  Japanese 139 

Promiscuous  Bathing 187 

Province   of   Omi  —  produc- 
tions. 221 

**    Mino       " 228 

••  "    Owari      " 229 

"  "    Iga  "    ...230 

"    Kii 233 

"           "    Akitah— assas- 
sin   lOI 

Reception  near  Hirosaki   ...  46 

Rice  Diet 237 

Roman  Catholics  in  Japan . .  1 1 1 

Samurai — descriptio.i 73,  76 

Satsuma  Rebellion— causes.  .291 

"         Samurai    291 

Rebellion— Saigo  . .  288 

**  "        outbreak.  292 

Sak^ — use  of,  by  Japanese. .  .335 

School-boys  in  Tokio 155 

School-teachers'  occupation. .  157 

Schools  in  Tokio 162 

School  Contract— sample 37 

Sci-O-Ken— hotel 144 

Shaka 312 

.Shimonos^ki  affair 367 

Shintoism 231 

Sho^n's  Position — defined . .   72 

Shojees 62 

Shodo  Shionin— legend  con- 
cerning   180 

Sir    Harry   Parke's   Visit    to 

Emperor 299 

Summer  Recreations  in  Japan  173 

Takada — Prince  of  Iga 224 

Takashima  Coal  Mines 194 

Tatamis — descriptive  note. . .  42 
Teaching — how  conducted. . .  163 
Theatres 159 


PAGE 

Tobacco — use  of 333 

Tomb  of  Tokugawa  lyeyas. .  183 
Tokio — geological  features. .  132 

"         '*  doing"  of 134 

Tokio  Climate 149 

**    Asakusa  Temple 135 

"    Conflagrations 150 

"    Uy^no  Park 135 

*'    Society 151 

Toogu — Gakko 36 

Tokugawa  House 68 

Traveling  by  Jinrikisha. . .    .  176 

Truancy  of  Scholars 167 

Tsukidji 143 

Tsuruga    223 

Tycoon 71 

Tsuruga  Dai 148 

Tsugaru  Straits 35 

Umoto  Sulphur  Springs 187 

Wine  in  Japan 337 

Woman  Suffrage  in  Japan. .  .350 
Various   Classes  of   English- 
men   368 

Yakunin — defined 77 

Vamato-Vashiki 144 

Vashiki 132 

Veddo— features 137 

fires 138 

'*        earthquakes 139 

"        merchants 140 

Yesso 55 

Yokohama — arrival 17 

"  description 2i 

"  Curio  Street  ...   22 

Bluffs 21 

"  Mississippi  Bay.. 23 

U.      S.      Naval 

Hospital 24 

"  social  features..    24 

"  rifle  range 23 

'*  recreations 25 

Dramatic  Associ- 
ation   27 

"  public  gardens. .   27 

"  newspapers  ....   28 

"  trade 31 

Yoshiwara  System 342 


RETURN 

-QANPERIOD 


CIRCUlATlOMMPARTrAENT^.^^^ 


202  Mai 


rTRRXRY~UST 


FORAA 


:^...^^--^^^r- 


.SlU  I 'I  /l"'!'^ 


■  Berkeley 


YB  29050 


4753-18 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  LIBRARY 


